The Chosen One - Toshiro X
by atikabubu
Summary: ON HOLD UNTIL EARLY DECEMBER, READ LEGENDARY WITCHES 3. The fourth installment of the Chosen One series and sequel to The Star of Romagna. Toshiro is enjoying his vacation alongside his beloved, but as all good things, even this comes to an end with the arrival of a certain black haired beauty.
1. Chapter 1 - Not again

**Disclaimer**

**I do not hold the intellectual property rights to the Strike Witches franchise, or any other book, comic, song, movie or other work of art I reference. Original Content created by me is copyrighted by me alone. All brand names are property of the respective parties owning rights to them. This disclaimer is valid hereinafter and won't be repeated in the following chapters.**

**Partial copyright by Doran Maya.**

* * *

**Welcome again! The fourth installment of the Chosen One saga is upon us! This one is a bit slow, but the amount of original content is unprecedented in the series. Also, there's a bit surprise. How big? Well, BIG! AND IT EXPLODES! But you'll have to wait for it till chapter 22.**

**The background for this fic is the movie. Whether or not there's some content from the upcoming O.V.A mini-series is subject to change.**

**And as usual I would like to thank Doran Maya here. He's done more this time. Much more. Huehuehue…**

**So without further ado, onwards march!**

* * *

Chapter 1 – Not again…

"Toshiroooo! Peel these daikons for me!" The melodic voice of Yoshika rang across the Miyafuji Clinic.

"Coming!" Toshiro responded from the living room.

_Almost a month has passed since I proposed to the love of my life, Yoshika Miyafuji. I still have that scene before my eyes. Yoshika's eyes welling up with tears as she saw the ring… The fireworks banging on the sky, lighting everything under them in a multitude of colors… Our tears of joy…_

_The next day, the recently installed phone in the clinic almost exploded. The townsfolk of Yokosuka sure knew how to spread info, and not even twenty-four hours have passed, and Adolfine called me, congratulating me on her and uncles behalf. The press also hammered the phone, but I only gave brief answers…_

_The last phone call that day was the most mysterious one – a man claiming to be the caretaker of the Tokyo Imperial Household Museum called, and wanted to meet me personally. I agreed, and the next day the man came to Yokosuka by airboat. He wanted to see Yoshika's engagement ring. Reluctantly, she agreed and gave it to him. After carefully examining it, the man almost got heart palpitations. He said that he would give any amount of money, so that this treasure of historical significance joins the collection of the Tokyo Imperial Household Museum. I looked at Yoshika, she looked at the ring, and we made a deal_

_"__Sir… I don't want money, I just want something in return… I want an exact replica of this ring made for my fiancé."_

_That's what I sad. The man almost showered me with kisses after hearing that. He left hastily, and just after a week, the replica came in by a special envoy._

_"__It isn't the same ring as you gave me, but I'm glad that I could somehow help preserve history…" Yoshika said when I gave her the ring._

_After that, a thought crossed my mind. I visited my high school, and gave a proposition to the principal – I write the third year exams, and he gives me papers that I finished high school. He pondered a bit at my proposal, and agreed to it, but only because of who I was. He assigned a tutor, free of charge, to bring me up on the curriculum. I gave myself a week, and after a week, and a series of murderous tests, I could finally write 'high school' in the 'education' part of my resume. Not to brag, but I passed the exams like shit through a goose._

_Sometime around that, July 14 that is, I called Perrine. She was surprised, but when I said 'Happy Bastille Day, Perrine', she started behaving as if she wanted to kiss me through the receiver. And of course, after a usual show of feigned ignorance, she wanted to talk to Yoshika. Some things never change… Eh…_

_One day I proposed to Yoshika and Sayaka that maybe I should move out with Yoshika. Both opposed with will of iron, so I started doing stuff around the clinic, mostly small renovations. The days passed on like nobody's business. Around the end of July, Mio ventured out to Europe. She said that the Yamato was being repaired, and that she was posted on it as an advisor. We greeted her of in the harbor, as she boarded an airboat._

_On a side note, it seems that Kuji is doing God's work, and Yoshika's curves improved a bit during all this time. She gained about two centimeters of height, and her bust circumference also increased by that length. Yoshika was thrilled by these changes, even more than me, but she thinks it's the natural way… Maybe I should tell her one day?_

_Yoshika was also attending an officer's course, a shortened version, since she's a 2__nd__ Lieutenant of the reserves. It only took her four hours daily, but it was too much even for her… But that was over already, and apart from that, she didn't want to have anything to do with the IFN._

_And also Yoshika could finally wear earrings since her regenerative powers have ceased to work, which she gladly utilized one every suitable occasion._

_Today is August 2, and I have a really bad feeling…_

"Toshiro, damn you! Come here and help me!" Yoshika shouted furiously. "Or no snuggling until September!"

"Yes ma'am!" Toshiro shouted and quickly ran to the kitchen.

He took a daikon, and peeled it fervently, much to Yoshika's amusement.

"Now, that's what I wanted…" She said.

"Heheh…" Toshiro laughed nervously.

Suddenly the doorbell, another thing Toshiro did for the clinic, rang melodically.

"I'll get it." Yoshika said. "Stir the pot for me, would you?"

"Stirring and peeling at the same time? What am I, Asura?" Toshiro grumbled.

"You'll manage, I know you will… Heehee…"

Yoshika ran to the door. Toshiro didn't hear anything, but she ran back quickly and said, "It's for you Toshiro…"

_What's with this bleak expression?_

Toshiro went to the door, and saw the last person he would like to see now, the black haired Karlslander beauty with a rifle scope hanging from her neck and the body of an amazon hidden underneath her slightly unorthodox uniform – Adolfine Galland.

"Nope, we're not interested, please come later. Like in ten years." Toshiro said firmly and turned back.

"Wait…" Adolfine said silently and grabbed him.

"Do you want to interrupt my happiness yet again? Now, as opposed to February, you should have a perfect image of the situation, and yet you come here…"

"Leave…" An emotionless voice sounded from the kitchen and Yoshika, armed with a big knife came out. "Leave before I get angry…"

"Please calm down, Yoshika." Adolfine said.

"Where do you want to send Toshiro now? Liberion? Amazonia? Cyrenaica again? The Easter Island? Orussia?" Yoshika enumerated the possibilities with shaking hands.

"You were almost right with Amazonia. I want to take Toshiro to Neue Karlsland…"

"But why?! We are happy here as we are!" Yoshika shouted with tears streaking down her eyes.

"Please, calm down… There is a reason why I want to take him there, besides the official ones…"

"Oh?" Yoshika's tone changed. "What is it?"

"It's Toshiro's grandmother, Mary… The doctors said if she lives for another week, it will be a miracle…"

"What… What… What happened…?" Toshiro asked out of breath.

"She had a stroke, Toshiro… She is 81 years old, and you should know that the chances of her living through this are slim…" Adolfine said with a gloom expression.

"No… No… This can't be happening… Another family member of mine is going to die, and I don't even know what she looks like! Adolfine, take me there, immediately!"

"That's why I'm here, Toshiro. I will explain the rest of the causes why I'm here during the flight…"

"But… But Toshiro…" Yoshika squirmed.

"Yoshika…"

"Please, Toshiro, I will handle it…" Adolfine kneeled before Yoshika. "Tomorrow, somebody tasked with a special mission will come to you, Yoshika. You will embark on your own journey, so you won't have to feel bad about Toshiro being separated from you."

"What… What journey…?"

"It's a surprise, but I promise you, as an Officer of the Wehrmacht, and as your friend, that you will like it." Adolfine said calmly but firmly.

"Oh… Okay then… But promise me that Toshiro will have the means to contact me!"

"I promise."

"Okay then… You can go, Toshiro. Your fiancé lets you, heehee… Go and pack yourself, I have a soup to tend to."

"Kay, Yoshika…"

Toshiro went to their room, and he packed the stuff that was lying around to his chest. He took it and went to Adolfine. Yoshika was also standing there.

"Will a simple 'goodbye' be enough?" Toshiro asked with a smug face.

"Hell no!" Yoshika shouted.

She lunged forward, and they kissed with such passion that Toshiro's tongue almost went numb.

"Ooooh… With such a goodbye, I can safely assume we will still be engaged by the time I see you next time…"

"And don't you even think about it being different!" Yoshika said.

"Come on, Toshiro." Adolfine said. "Udo and Fritz are waiting."

"The same airboat as before?"

"Yup."

They exited the clinic, and slowly walked towards the Naval Base.

"So, Adolfine... What the fuck were you talking about to Yoshika?"

"Truth and only truth. Tomorrow, Sergeant Shizuka Hattori, a cadet from the Etajima Naval Academy, will come to Yoshika with a proposal. The Helvetian Academy of Medical Sciences, founded only two years ago in Basel, invited her to study in its ranks."

"Is that a private university?"

"Yes, and I know where you're going at. We funded your fiancés education entirely."

"Wow… Incredible…"

"It's the least we can do to sweeten her life a bit, after she sacrificed her magic… So, continuing, the girls will board a ship and sail to Marseille, and from there, they will venture on through the continent, up to Helvetia. Don't worry, in Gallia and the Netherlands they are safe. Belgica is a bit dangerous though, but that's why Hattori will be with Yoshika."

"Hmmm… I think I like it… Buuuuut… Yoshika is only after middle school…"

"Don't worry about that either. There are a slew of high schools in Basel that will take Yoshika in."

"So, what do you plan for me after I do all my business in Neue Karlsland?"

"For now, we plan to let you go, but I don't give you any guaranties."

"I suppose that will have to suffice… So, what's the 'other' stuff I'm being hauled about?"

"As I told you, we will discuss it mid-flight. We can't talk about it around the rabble…" Adolfine stealthily glanced over the few people looking at them.

"Whatever… Let's get to the plane then…"

They arrived at the Naval Base piers, before the BV 222 airboat.

"This again…" Toshiro sighed. "Good that we only have a day of flight ahead of us…"

"Not exactly true, Toshiro, your math is off… It's slightly over eighteen thousand kilometers to Buenos Aires. That's three days and some of continuous flight. But we can't fly continuously. Despite all the mods, we can only go 245 km/h for 30 hours, which means that we'll fly for about… four to five days."

"Now I see… But you won't be breaking out your bikini in Hawaii, right?"

"Nu-uh, we're only refueling and cooling down the engines there."

"Oh what a shame… I really like looking at you in a bikini… Let's just get this behind us…"

"Lets…" Adolfine sighed.

They boarded the plane, and made themselves comfortable. The engines started, and Toshiro was off on another adventure, in his new homeland, away from his beloved Yoshika.

* * *

**And chapter one ends here, bros and brosefines! As usual, see you in three days!**

**Oh, and watch out with those fireworks today, mericans ;)**

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	2. Chapter 2 - Reasoning with the devil

Chapter 2 – Reasoning with the devil

"So, now that we're up in the air, care to tell me what's going on? In every fucking detail?" Toshiro asked a bit irritated.

"Don't get angry, Toshiro…"

"How couldn't I get angry?! I smell that my grandmother being terminal is just a smokescreen behind which you want to pull something off!" Toshiro yelled.

"Please, Toshiro, calm down…"

"I won't calm down!" Toshiro shouted while walking circles. "Why can't you tell everything straight from the bat?!"

"Sit down, Colonel! That's an order!" Adolfine yelled.

Toshiro was stumped by Adolfine's behavior, but he sat down.

"Don't forget I'm your superior, Toshiro… Okay, I will tell you everything now."

"Oh you'd better…" Toshiro grumbled.

"First of all – your grandmother is sick, just as I presented it, without any doubt and mystifications."

"At least you didn't lie about it…" Toshiro mumbled. "I would throw you out of this plane…"

"Ahem… The second reason, would be that your dear Uncle wants you to attend to his birthday party."

"Uncs want me on his birthday party? Well, he could just fucking call me, I would've taken Yoshika and the works… But it's still a whole damn week till that, why now? Because of the flight time, right?"

"Precisely. There's also third reason – your lack of qualifications, Toshiro."

"Oh? What am I missing, according to the high and mighty Wehrmacht?"

"You never received proper officer training, Toshiro, be it the IFN or the Wehrmacht. And Yoshika, who is a _reservist,_ had one…"

"Oh crap… You're right… And I'm a Colonel, a rank away from a Brigadier General, hah! So, you'll probably sending me to a crash course, right?"

"Yes. It will take two weeks, maximally condensed, since you're apt enough to pull this through."

"But I would have two more weeks or so till Yoshika arrives in Europe, right?"

"That's the fourth reason now, Toshiro. You will assist Ursula in improving and finishing the new wave of prototype equipment, that's being made especially for you… As usual…"

"Now you're cooking with gas, Adolfine, I always look forward to some upgrades. But where would I employ it, huh? Transvaal?"

"Reason Nummer Fünf, Toshiro, one I didn't want to mention just yet, but given your little outburst, I think it's necessary now… You will be transferred to Sint-Truiden after you'll finish everything in Neue Karlsland."

Toshiro looked at her with fire burning in his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Toshiro. Look at the bright side, you'll be on the same continent as Yoshika, it's not that far from Belgica to Helvetia… You'll even have special permission to use your new Striker to visit her in Basel."

"And why am I being transferred there?" He asked.

"Command has started devising a plan of the operation to recapture Karlsland. The working codename is 'Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein'. We will attack from both the west, from land and air, and from south, through land, air and… river…"

"River? What, you're going to float the Yamato on the Rhine? Hah! Preposterous!"

"That's the plan…" Adolfine said calmly.

"Wait, wait… You will be using some elaborate buoyancy system to float an almost seventy two thousand ton battleship up a river?!" Toshiro asked totally surprised.

"That's the plan. The Fuso Navy scientists must be real crackpots…"

"Yeah, I guess they are…" Toshiro sighed. "So… Got any info on that Shizuka gal?"

"I'm well prepared, Toshiro." She answered and pulled out a dossier out of her trusty locker.

Toshiro took it and started reading it.

_Shizuka Hattori_

_She looks like Mio's daughter would look like…_

_Rank: Sergeant_

_Heh, at least she won't have direct power over her. Ah, well, Yoshika didn't actually dump the IFN as she said, she's a permanent reserve now._

_Height: 159 cm_

_She's taller than Yoshika…_

_Date of Birth: August 18, 1931_

_So she's two years younger and…_

"Hey, Adolfine… It appears that she has birthday the same as Yoshika and Sanya."

"Nice coincidence, I knew you'd spot it out. So, what do you think about her?"

"As I already pondered, she looks like Mio's daughter would look like."

"Hahahaha!"

"Heh, yeah… I hope she will protect my Yoshika…. By the way, how will they be travelling?"

"The battleship Amagi will take them to Pas-de-Calais. I believe you know where that is?"

"Just too well… You know about Minna's boyfriend, right?"

"Yes… Poor girl… I know all the details..." Adolfine said with a solemn voice.

"Anyway… Are there any more reasons you pulled me out of my new home, where I had three hot meals, a warm bed and a girl that loves me above her own life?"

"There is one reason left, but I'm risking my neck just telling you it exists…"

"Okay, Adolfine, you told me enough not to be pissed off like a hornets nest in a bears ass. I'm sorry for being such a grump…"

"I understand you, Toshiro… At least I think I do... You probably had a nice thing going on with Yoshika, right?"

"Yeah… We're almost like a married couple now…"

"Talking about Yoshika… How does she cope with the loss of her magic? And maybe you could tell me about how Mio feels?"

"Mio is a really simple case, really. She found a new passion in being a drill instructor. The poor cadets, my gods… She even taught Yoshika some self-defense techniques, so that's probably why she tried to shoo you off with that knife."

"Yes, that was a bit of a shock for me."

"She was just waving it as a warning. Yoshika would never hurt or, gods forbid, kill another human being on purpose."

"As I thought, but thanks for making it clear…"

"She had a phase in Romagna though…"

"Hmm?"

"The negative emotions she felt while I was gone "training" piled up, and whenever Yoshika felt I was in "danger" of being "taken" by another girl, she would flip. Or at that one time I was April Fooled and she smacked Erica…" Toshiro sighed.

"Wow…"

"Well, I wanted to smack Erica too. Do you know how fucking painful it is when the inner side of your hand gets ripped off?"

"Youch, what the hell happened?"

"Cyanoacrylic glue on a doorknob…"

"Whoops. Well, combined with your strength… And the solidness of that door you had in your room… It was that one, right?"

"Yup. But all ended well. I purified Yoshika and that's that."

"What a wild ride… So, returning to Mio?"

"I asked her what she's feeling, now that she can't fly on her own. You know what she told me?"

"Nope, no clue."

"As long as I stand on my two legs, I will fight the Neuroi, even in the most indirect ways."

"All Mio… Then I guess Yoshika didn't make the transition so smoothly?"

"Yes, there was a hitch… About a week after we returned, Michiko, her cousin visited her in the clinic. She helped us peeling a daikon for beef stew, and she cut herself in the finger. Yoshika extended her hands towards Michiko, but she took them back after a few seconds of awkward silence. Then she simply went to the… operating room, and she patched Michiko up with a bandage and hydrogen peroxide. It didn't look like anything would happen, but after supper, when we were starting to snuggle in bed, she suddenly started crying her eyes out…"

* * *

"What is it, Yoshika? Why are you crying? Don't you want to snuggle with your future husband?"

"No, no, stupid… It's… You saw it today, right?"

"See what?"

"I tried to heal Michiko with my magic… I total forgot I'm now a barren wasteland in terms of magical power… Even Kuji has trouble communicating with me…"

"Do you have any regrets, Yoshika? Do you wish that you didn't do what you did?"

Yoshika looked at me with guilty eyes and said, "No, I don't regret saving you, the 501st, and all the people of Venezia, Romagna and gods know who else… But I wish there would be some other way I could have done that…"

"You were going on the spur of the moment, Yoshika. And I'm grateful to you… You don't even know how much… I too wish it could be done in a less invasive way but… Look at the other side – we can be together now. Now I can fulfil my promise towards you, the promise I gave you on the Akagi – to protect you as long as I live."

* * *

"And then we had sex."

"You didn't have to say that…"

"Geheheheh… So now you know how the two coped with losing their magic. Anything else you want to know?"

"Do you have a set date for your wedding?"

"Thinking ahead are you? No, we didn't bother with that shit, although Sayaka is pushing us gently. We want to use our holy time of engagement to sort out the differences, get to know each other even better et cetera."

"Just don't take too long, or she might run away from you, heehee…"

"I heavily doubt it, Adolfine. For Yoshika to dump me, I would have to, dunno… fuck some stranger I guess? But probably even then we could mitigate the danger to our relationship through an honest talk and some good shagging."

"You are being really arrogant right now, you know?"

"Adolfine, Adolfine… Firstly, Yuki won't let me do anything wrong, secondly – Yoshika is head over heels in love with me, and that's mutual. Only the end of the world could extinguish that fire… And after what we did while in Pescara, sheesh… I think that if I banged you in front of her, she'd just kick me off and fist you herself."

"Wh-what?!"

"Ahahah! This is something new for you, huh? You know, Yoshika is bicurious."

"No way! She told me she's bi but… Such aggression?"

"Sounds impossible, but it's true. And it goes on! We had a literal orgy in Pescara."

Adolfine looked at him with enormous eyes.

"Me, Yoshika, Shirley and – drumroll – Minna."

"You all… Did it with each other?!"

"Hah, if you'd see what happened, we all would probably be thrown around the whole globe as punishment, hahaha!"

"I suddenly feel less comfortable with you…"

"Don't worry, Adolfine, you're off limit to me, just as any other woman without Yoshika's consent."

"Yoshika's consent?! She lets you bang other women?!"

"No, no, it doesn't work like that. I can only do it, if Yoshika's also participating, so basically any –some." Toshiro explained calmly.

"Mein Gott… The things that are going inside of the witch units…"

"Hey, I doubt such wickedness is going on in every all-witch unit. The 501st is special since I joined, heh…"

"I hope you didn't make more _conquests_, right?"

"As I said…"

"Good, good, I understand…" Adolfine sighed. "You are really lucky to have such a liberal girlfriend… I would forbid my man to even look at other women, if I was in a relationship…"

"Adolfine… Sex without love is just a physical exercise so to speak, nothing more."

"That's what you both say… I have a more conservative viewpoint."

"Like a True Soldier of Karlsland, right?"

"Hah, yes! So… We have slightly over a day till we land in Hawaii… What will we do until that?"

"Do you have a deck of cards?"

Adolfine reached to her locker, and pulled out a new deck.

"Prepared for every occasion, Toshiro." She said with a smug face. "Are we playing for money?"

"Of course! But I have a fifty pound limit."

"Fifty pounds it is then. We should go really low on the bids, since we have a fuckload of time…"

"On we go. Texas hold'em?"

"Why of course!"

* * *

**Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein – the German name for the offensive plan in the Ardennes that became more known as the Battle of the Bulge**

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	3. Chapter 3 - Goldman reloaded

Chapter 3 – Goldman reloaded

"Okay, Toshiro, you can turn around." Adolfine said in a flirtatious tone.

Toshiro turned around and saw Adolfine in a skimpy white bikini which barely covered anything.

"Ho-ly shit… Adolfine, how is it that you've got a bit more ripped and yet, your breasts are practically the same size from what I can judge?"

"Targeted muscle groups, Toshiro." Adolfine said striking a proud pose. "If I worked out like a man, I would probably have what, B's at most? The Karlslander scientists made me a special workout program, so I preserve ma natural valor's, but buff out them muscles!"

Saying that, Adolfine flexed her right arm. A rather impressive bicep bulged under her skin, which was almost free of fat.

"Impressive, Adolfine… Maybe you should capitalize on your muscles?"

"Huh?" Adolfine tilted her head.

"You know, enter some bodybuilding contests or something… You are really nicely chiseled…"

"Oh…" Her cheeks reddened. "I'm not ready for such exposure…"

"But you'll be flashing your almost naked body to half of the base in Pearl Harbor, and you don't want to show your muscles?"

"No…" She said silently while playing with her index fingers. "I want to be viewed as a normal woman…"

"Ooooooh… That's what's hurting you… Well, yeah, muscles aren't exactly feminine…" Toshiro smirked and flexed his own right arm.

A bicep the size of a small bread loaf popped up, with a triceps the size of a big sausage to boot.

"Oh shit… Can I touch it?"

"Sure, touching is good, heheh…"

"Oh shush, you perv…" Adolfine said and started stroking his muscular arm. "Woooow… You really trained for such a body…"

"Sweat and tears, Adolfine… So, what will we be doing in Pearl Harbor again?"

"Ah, yes. Like last time, we'll procure some snacks. The flight to Buenos Aires will take some time, and we might as well refuel. Then we'll make a stop for refueling, and maybe some shopping or something, in LA. Afterwards, we'll be flying for Acapulco, Lima and Buenos Aires."

"Oh, so I'll get to visit two new cities? How nice!"

"Visit is an overstatement, Toshiro… I'm sorry, but we're on a very tight schedule. You know, your grandma's health and all…"

"Oh right… I was selfish right now… Then let's hurry!"

"I'm glad I got you back on track, heh… Change your clothes, we'll be landing in a few minutes."

"Should I do it the normal way or the… quick way?"

"Quick way. I don't want to have an occasion to see you flapping your meat around…"

"Okaaaaaaay…" Toshiro sighed. "Wait a second, I don't have to put on my swimming trunks, right?"

"Hmmm… No, you don't have to, to be honest."

"Meh, then I'll just pull off my shirt… There you go."

"A feast to the eyes as usual… Hey, can you carry my wallet, since you actually have pockets?"

"Only if you're the one funding everything now…"

"Yes, yes… But you shouldn't exactly moan because of poverty, right? I mean, you got a three thousand pound finder's fee, and that was only calculated by the worth of the gold… Well, you gave away half of it to Gertrud, but I won't judge you…"

"But I only have a fifty in my wallet, which should be a hundred after I ripped you off at poker, but you say that you don't have spare change… You snagged me out before I could go to the bank, for me to have more, you know…"

"Heh, don't worry, I'll pay you off… Unless…"

"You want to play until we land in Neue Karlsland, right?"

"Bingo!"

"Fine by me, but don't cry if I leave you naked and with a debt." Toshiro said while waving his finger at Adolfine.

"I guarantee you that won't happen." She said with a sly smile.

"We are approaching for landing, Frau Generalmajor." Udo said through the PA system

"Ah, good timing." Adolfine said to Toshiro.

After a few minutes the plane landed and they disembarked.

"Not much changed, Adolfine." Toshiro said. "It's a bit warmer though…"

"It's rather peaceful here after what happened in December '41. Let's go, we have to procure the supplies."

They entered the same place they entered back in February.

"Something changed…" Toshiro mumbled.

Instead of the burly Kowalski, his lanky assistant Goldman was sitting behind the desk.

"Oy vey! You two again… On a trip again?"

"You could have some respect before the rank, you know…" Toshiro muttered.

"I have respect for the man, not for the rank. I could salute you both, but this ladies bikini made from three thick threads kind of stopped me…"

"Are you perhaps disrespecting me?" Adolfine said with a cold voice, resting her hands on the desk and leading forward, almost smacking Goldman with her ample breasts. "Do you know how much shit I could put you through?"

"Ugh, sorry mam…" Goldman replied with a bitter face and turned around. "Hey, Kowalski you schmuck! Come over here!"

Kowalski quickly ran up and saluted to them.

"Permission to speak, Drill Sergeant Goldman!"

"Permission granted…"

"Nice to see you both." He said towards Toshiro and Adolfine. "As you see, a bit changed…"

"What happened?" Toshiro asked.

"It appears you're not the only one with an uncle high up…" Kowalski sighed.

"Colonel Isaac Goldman." Goldman said proudly. "So, let's get down to business…"

Adolfine dictated him a list of goods.

"A bit less than the last time…" Goldman murmured. "But business is business. Kowalski, take the list and get everything."

"Yes sir." Kowalski said and disappeared in the storage room.

"I think you're treating him a bit too harshly, Goldman…" Toshiro said.

The man looked around and whispered, "I only got promoted recently, I'll stop after a few weeks. An eye for an eye, but not longer than it's necessary…"

"It seems I misjudged you…"

"You're not the first…" He sighed. "And ma'am, you really shouldn't parade in such a skimpy bikini. I mean people of this age are used to seeing girls in their underpants but… this is just too much…" Goldman said with a heavy blush.

"Oh… well… I'm sorry for putting you in an inconvenient situation…" Adolfine murmured while slightly blushing. "It's the first time I'm wearing this anyway…"

"Adolfine…" Toshiro sighed. "You really are reckless… Poor Goldman will get a heart attack because of your stunning beauty. But then, we will get everything for free, heheh…"

"I would return from beyond the grave and make you pay!" Goldman suddenly regained confidence.

Both Toshiro and Adolfine laughed heavily.

"I see you're having a good time while I'm working my ass off…" Kowalski said suddenly, surprising everyone.

He came in with a trolley full of boxes with foodstuffs, and it indeed had less loaded onto it then six months ago.

Goldman flipped his right palm open towards Adolfine, showing what looked like an invoice with his left.

"Toshiro, wallet please."

Toshiro pulled out her wallet out of his left pocket and gave it to her.

"Thank you."

Adolfine opened it and pulled out a bill. She gave it to Goldman, who gave her back the appropriate amount of change. She stuffed it back in the wallet, and gave it back to Toshiro, who placed it back in his pocket.

"Kowalski, what are you waiting for? Move!" Goldman shouted.

"Yeah, yeah… What a travesty…" Kowalski mumbled and pushed the trolley outside.

"Goodbye." Toshiro said and started walking out.

"So long." Adolfine said and joined him.

"Yeah, bye…" Goldman murmured and slumped down on his desk.

"The usual plane?" Kowalski asked in front of them.

"Yeah." Toshiro said taking the initiative. "It seems Adolfine likes the BV 222."

"I like it, that's true. It's the most reliable airboat we have. And I get to spend so much time with you inside, Toshiro…"

"Spare me the details…" Kowalski said.

"Nothing to be jealous about, Kowalski." Toshiro said. "I didn't see more than you can right now."

"Really?"

"Yeaaaaaah… Adolfine's not that kind of girl…"

"A shame… You should make a move yourself, Colonel… Oh, pardon, you have a fiancé…"

"So news gets fast even to this backwater?"

"We knew it as soon as the press got taps on that info – the eighth."

"I wonder why so fast…" Toshiro said slowly and looked at Adolfine.

"Hey, I was happy for Yoshika and you… Wanted to share the feeling…" Adolfine looked to the side nervously.

"Nah, I'm not mad, Adolfine. At least now the whole world knows that Yoshika and I are serious, not just for show on a propaganda flic."

"See? The media can do something good after all, hahaha!"

"You laughing like Mio doesn't suit you…"

"Okay both of you, we're here." Kowalski interrupted Toshiro as they stood before the BV 222.

"Udo! Fritz! Come out! There's stuff to load!" Adolfine shouted, not too soft but not too harsh.

The two pilots quickly ran out of the plane and started unloading the trolley.

"Efficient guys, I have to admit that…" Kowalski muttered.

"Fabled Karlslander efficiency, heh…" Toshiro snickered.

After a few minutes the trolley was empty, and the two pilots were waiting for orders.

"Good job you two." Adolfine said calmly. "Go begin the starting procedures."

"Jawohl, Frau Generalmajor!" The two shouted in unison and disappeared in the inside of the airboat.

"Thank you, Kowalski." Toshiro said. "You've been helpful once again."

"Helping you two I actually like. Where are ya going to now?"

"LA, Acapulco, Lima and Buenos Aires." Adolfine explained.

"A nice trip." Kowalski said and saluted lazily. "I'm going back, of Goldman will scrape my ass off with an iron brush."

"Good luck!" Toshiro exclaimed loudly.

"I'll need it, hah!"

Adolfine and Toshiro entered the airboat and the engines started rumbling as soon as the door closed.

"Now, Toshiro, you said something about laughing like Mio…"

"It really doesn't suit you…"

"Then how about this…"

Adolfine laughed.

"Hmm… A bit rusty… Wait a second, I'll get you started…" Toshiro said and approached Adolfine with hands extended.

"Wait, what are you trying to.. ha… hahaha….hahahahahahaha!"

Adolfine started laughing honestly from the bottom of her heart as Toshiro started tickling her.

"Oh please… stop… this is tiring… hahahahaha…"

Toshiro stopped tickling Adolfine. She took a deep breath and asked, "Was that good?"

"Yes. A perfect laugh, suited for you. Feminine but with a dose of something wild. Just like your body." Toshiro winked.

Adolfine's cheeks now looked like two red railway lamps.

"T-Toshiro… Stop complimenting me like that… You're engaged…"

"I told you that Yoshika is very open-minded. You're behaving like a stuck up virgin right now."

"Oh pfff, not a virgin!"

"Ah, so you experienced what it is to be with a man?"

"Maaaaybe…" Adolfine started playing coy with Toshiro. "But I'll tell you another time. Definitely another time."

"Not in the mood? I'm not THAT curious. You don't want to talk about it – fine. To be honest, I'm probably the only weirdo talking about my sex life with almost everyone who I get to know better…"

"When we get _home_, okay?"

"By _home_ you're referring to Neue Karlsland?"

"I have to for now… My true home was in Westerholt in Niedersachsen…" Adolfine sighed. "You're so lucky to be from Fuso, Toshiro… Apart from the Fuso Sea Incident, your country never truly experienced the horror of the Neuroi invasion…"

"Yeah… I had a really carefree childhood, apart from some issues. I didn't even see a Neuroi with my own eyes until that incident on the Akagi, heh… And I was seventeen back then… But Adolfine, you were what, nineteen until the Second Neuroi War broke out. You were born in the interwar period…"

"Yes, that's true but… Because I was nineteen already, my magic wasn't as strong as it was in '37 in Fuso, to give an immediate example. I lost my shield during Operation Small Bifrost… Good that I had company, or I would be dead now…"

Toshiro silently neared Adolfine and embraced her with one hand.

"Don't be so gloomy, Adolfine."

Adolfine shuddered when she realized she, almost naked, was being embraced by the half-naked Toshiro.

"Oh, are you uncomfortable with me embracing you?"

"No, not exactly…"

"Then come on, gimme a hug."

"Oh… Okay…"

Adolfine shyly wrapped her arm around his chest. He could feel the warmth of her body, and her breast pressing against his muscular pecks.

"Does it feel nice?" He asked.

"Yeah… It's nice… But I really have a guilty conscience doing this…"

"Then stop."

"Nah… Since I feel guilty already, might as well feel guilty a bit longer, heehee…"

_"__She smells nice…"_

_"__Hey, hey, hey! Don't go too far, or you'll have to punch that 'one-fuck' pass from Yoshika!"_

_"__Okay, okay. Just tell me where to draw the line, okay?"_

_"__Okay."_

Yuki didn't have to intervene. Adolfine released him on her own accord, not doing anything more.

"I'm jealous as hell… Yoshika is spoiled by you…" She pouted.

"That's true. But she also spoils me. Do you know that she feeds me the first sushi roll from my plate with chopsticks every time we have sushi?"

"Weird…"

"Oh come on, be a tad more romantic…"

"I'm a Karlslander, we only believe in efficiency…" Adolfine said with a crooked smile but quickly laughed afterwards. "Poker?"

"Count me in!"

* * *

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	4. Chapter 4 - Sham Crock Shenanigans

**Public service announcement**

**I know that the chapters are short, and the story is going slow, but keep one thing in mind - you are getting a chapter every three days, not every week, two, a month, or whenever-the-fuck-the-author-decides-to-update.**

* * *

Chapter 4 – Sham Crock Shenanigans

"Tooooshiroooooo… Have mercy…" Adolfine sniffled with only her panties on, looking at Toshiro in his usual short-sleeved uniform.

He threw her back her bra, which she hastily pulled on.

"Toshiro, how the hell are you so good at poker?! Damn it, you lost one hand out of fifty! Good that you gave me back my money every time I went low…"

"Microexpressions, Adolfine. You involuntary tell me everything with your whole face and body…"

"And you're able to see that? Ugh… Why didn't you tell me in the first place?!"

"A poker player telling his secrets? Never! Oh, and I can see the cards reflected in your eyeballs."

"Seriously?"

"Nah, I'm kidding. I can't zoom my vision in by such a big degree."

"But you could give me back my uniform now, I'm a tad uncomfortable…"

"No wonder. A grown woman with such an athletic body…"

"Could you stop already? Really, Toshiro… You complimented my body already so much as if it's the only thing important about me… What about the rest, huh?"

"What about it? You're really nice to me, you're intelligent, you can take a laugh and you're the best link between me and the upper echelons. Anything more?"

"No, thanks... That would be about enough… Nice to know you're appreciating me for everything I do for you…" Adolfine said with a small voice.

"No worries, Adolfine. You've been always caring for me since the day we met. Maybe I really should call you Auntie, huh?"

"I told you that I hate it when YOU call me that. I feel old… And calling me auntie would work only if you were a kid and I were a stranger to you…"

"Ah, yes, I heard it's customary to Karlslandians… But you let Francesca call you that, and you're at least friends, if not good friends."

"Well, I like the little brat…" Adolfine pouted. "Despite her being a bit too grabby…"

"Did I tell you about what happened at Lynne's birthday?" Toshiro said suddenly.

"You told me what happened AFTER, but not about the birthday itself…"

"So, we were doing a toast…"

Toshiro told Adolfine about what happened later with all the details. She made a disgusted expression and held her 'valuables' with her arms.

"And all of that after she had a shot of vodka? Either the Orussians make some nice alcohol, or the poor Francesca has zero alcohol tolerance."

"Probably the latter…" Toshiro sighed. "But she is only fourteen… And rather small… And a girl…"

"Are you perhaps implying girls can drink less?"

"Girls – yes, women – I would probably argue."

"Ah, okay. I thought you were being sexist or something…"

"Adolfine, please… I was brought up by my mother, how can I be sexist…?"

"You could be. You could resent your mother for something…"

"Oh what, are you my shrink, Adolfine? I don't have anything to hold a grudge against… Maybe only the fact that she sacrificed herself without my consent… But beside that – nothing. My mother was like a goddess to me."

"So that's why you're not a sexist or misogynist… You were brought up in a good way... So simple…"

"So simple, Adolfine. What about you? I feel a slight hint of misandry in you, Adi."

"Do… not… call… me… Adi…" She said slowly with a cold voice. "Of all the people, not you…"

"Tell me why and I'll stop."

"Because… oh fuck you, I don't have to tell you shit."

"But you should… We are FRIENDS after all."

"Maybe one day, but not today."

Toshiro sighed and said, "You're stockpiling a lot of secrets, Adolfine… You'd better start taking stuff from it, or you might find it difficult to start at all after some time…"

"It's not like you have some secrets you won't tell me, right?"

"I have. And the fact I literally can't talk about it is driving me nuts sometimes… That's my allegorical cross to bear I think…"

"You 'literally' can't?"

"Yup. If I were to start talking about it, my throat would tie in a knot until I start thinking about doing something else."

"Is that the doing of your goddess or something?"

"Yes. I have knowledge of things that any mortal shouldn't know for their own good. And sorry, Adolfine, but I can't even tell all of this to my uncle…"

"I see… You're really a multi-layer personality, Toshiro… I'm afraid to peel away more…" Adolfine said with a little fear in her eyes.

"Nothing to fear, Adolfine. For my friends I can be like a fluffy kitten – soft, cuddly and cute. But if you get on the very narrow enemy side… Well, I hope you've made your amends and wrote a will…"

"Any particular entries on that side, if I may ask?"

"The Neuroi are a first – underlined, bolded, cursive and hundred cicero font. If I would get my hands on Maloney, I would probably snap his neck like a wishbone. You could say I'm a bit pissed off at the people trying to weaponize Neuroi cores, but their eyes will open up on their own one day… That would be it."

Adolfine pondered a few seconds and asked, "Toshiro, if I'd say I'm the head supervisor of a research team wanting to make a bomb out of a Neuroi core what would you say?"

"I'd punch you so hard your soul would leave your body. Then I'd catch your soul, stuff in your soulless body, and start beating sense into you." Toshiro answered without thinking. "I really do hope you're just saying this to tick me off, because if it was true…"

"I'm joking, I'm joking, calm down… From what Ursula and the other researchers told me, something like that was never going on under Karlslander jurisdiction, nor will it be."

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes, Toshiro."

"Okay, nothing happened." Toshiro said with a wide grin. "But seriously, Adolfine. If you ever get the chance to get involved in something like that, either profusely decline or try to sabotage it. The Neuroi are uncontrollable monsters, and trying to make them your slaves is like using a wild gorilla as your pet monkey."

"The Warlock and the Yamato had shown me it just too clearly…"

"Frau Generalmajor, Los Angeles is awaiting." Udo said through the intercom.

"Oh, good, I'll be able to do some shopping!" Adolfine cheered.

"Whatcha buying?"

"Secret!"

"As usual…"

When they landed, Adolfine said, "We'll be meeting again here in two hours, don't run away too far."

"I'll go get a beer or two at my favorite pub here…"

"What's it named? Maybe I'll join you, huh?"

"You? In this getup? Maybe if you get dressed in your normal uniform, then maaaaaybe… But this short sleeve uniform is already too revealing…"

"You're being too protective…" Adolfine pouted. "Come on, tell me! I'll change right away!"

"The Sham Crock, two blocks away straight from here."

"Okay!" Adolfine cheered and ran back into the plane.

After a few minutes she emerged in her usual uniform, but without her pilot jacket.

"I'll be going my way, and you can already reserve a seat for me?"

"Drinking a beer with you? I believe we haven't yet…"

"That's why I want to do it. Bye!" Adolfine shouted and ran away.

"Bye…" Toshiro muttered and went towards the pub.

He entered the building, and was immediately attacked by a cloud of cigarette smoke. The patrons looked at him for a few seconds and returned to their usual jobs – namely drinking, playing cards, swearing, laughing, burping etc.

Toshiro approached the counter, at which the same bartender as six months ago wiped a mug clean with a rag. The man noticed him and said, "Six months is all it takes to jump from Major to Colonel? I'm impressed… A pint?"

"Yeah. Do you have a table free somewhere?"

The bartender looked around and said, "Yeah, by the window on your right. A small table, for two people at most."

"Two places is all I need…"

"Oh, you have company?"

"My boss. She's out shopping, but she'll join me soon."

"Well, well… I hope you're not double timing on your… Yoshika or what's she called, huh?"

"Gods forbid. Adolfine's my friend and boss, but that's it. Gimme that pint, and I'll leave your sight."

"Yeah, yeah…" He grumbled and filled a mug with beer. "Here ya go."

"Not asking for a payment up front?"

"I know who you fucking are, I can bill the damn Wehrmacht if you ditch me, ha!"

"Interesting view…" Toshiro left.

He scanned the surroundings, trying to fish out the table from the smoke to which he could pound a nail. After spotting it, he sat there and opened the window slightly.

Toshiro looked at the foam atop of his beer. It disappeared very slowly, but he decided to help it a bit and he started drinking. He was surprised.

"Hey, Red, nice beer!"

"I won't give you the piss water I usually give these lousy sobs here, oh no! I figured you deserved it!"

"What if they complain?"

"If they do... hell I don't give a shit. Just make sure you take 'em outside. I'd like my pub to stay in one piece."

"Hahaha!"

Toshiro slowly sipped his bear, waiting for Adolfine. Half an hour passed, and two pints were drunk.

Then she finally came in. She had a paper bag with a Chanel logo on it, and she was looking around for Toshiro, amidst the carnivorous looks of the patrons.

"Ah, Toshiro! There you are!" She shouted with hand raised and ran to Toshiro.

In the meantime, he made a gesture, and the bartender started pouring bear after giving a nod.

"Adolfine, good that you're with me, or these drunkards would probably rape you with their eyes…" Toshiro said silently.

"They are doing it anyway…" Adolfine mumbled.

"So, what did you buy?"

"Secret…" She said with an alluring voice.

Red approached and placed the beer before Adolfine.

"A beer for you, ma'am."

"Ah, thank you." She said and sipped some beer. "Unexpectedly good… I would think we would get watered down horse piss in a place like this…" She whispered.

"He said he's giving us the good stuff."

"Aaaaaah… So, maybe a drinking contest, huh?"

"You want to get us both drunk around all these lardbuckets and blockheads? Nobody will touch me, but…"

"I'll take the risk. So, are you in?"

"What are we putting as wager?"

"A fifty."

"Okay."

"Bartender, it's your lucky day!" Adolfine shouted. "The two of us are going to drink until one of us falls!"

"Aye! A great day it is!" The bartender shouted back and stared filling mugs frantically.

With five in his hand he approached the table.

"Five?" Adolfine asked.

"The Colonel had two before."

"Ah, okay. This would be a handicap." Adolfine said and chugged down one mug in one go, making the whole bar go silent. "Now, Toshiro. Let's go."

"Impressive…" He said and raised his mug. "Let the better one win!"

The mugs clanged and the drinking started. The whole bar watched them in silence as pint after pint was guzzled down their throats.

It was now the 20th round. Adolfine raised her mug, and with a swaying hand she said, "Dhhoown thhe hhaaa…"

Her head fell down on the table and she passed out drunk as a skunk. The drunkards suddenly started clapping, which in turn turned into a standing ovation.

"What the…" Toshiro asked tried to maintain his sobriety.

"Your boss is the first woman to drink so much in this pub. Let's say they appreciate it…" Red answered.

"Heh… How much?"

The bartender tallied everything up and gave him the total. Toshiro paid him the sum with an appropriate tip and took Adolfine and her bag on a piggyback ride.

"Holy shit… You can still stand straight after twenty-two pints?" The bartender asked surprised. "You might rival even me, son. Make sure you come back for match with the champ someday, ya hear?"

"I'm a wizard… It's all about willpower… Goodbye, Red. And I might take up on your challenge…"

"That willpower… Take it easy, Son."

_I'm not your son, bub…_

Toshiro waltzed out of the pub and slowly but steady made his way to the docks. He took a blanket he found and placed it on the bench, and Adolfine on top of it. Then he approached the intercom and said, "Udo, we're starting now."

"I'm sorry, Herr Oberst, but I can only obey such and order if given by the Generalmajor."

"She's a bit… unresponsive now…"

"Unresponsive… Can I look?"

"Sure, bitte sehr."

Udo came into the back of the plane and just before he stopped aside of Adolfine he said, "Ugh… You two smell like a bierhalle… Okay, I'm starting the plane…"

"Thanks, Udo."

Udo closed the door behind him, and in a minute the engines were rumbling, readying themselves for another jump – to Acapulco.

* * *

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	5. Chapter 5 – Hola Acapulco!

Chapter 5 – Hola Acapulco!

Over seven hours after they started off from LA, Adolfine started waking up.

"My heeeead…" Adolfine moaned while she was gaining consciousness. "Oh my god… What happened…"

"Twenty-two pints of beer happened, Adolfine." Toshiro said silently. "Coffee?"

"Oh… Right… We were drinking… Ugh… What's the time?"

"1700, same day."

"Okay, okay… Yes, please, I would like a coffee..."

"Already got one." Toshiro smiled and extended his hand with a cup towards Adolfine.

"Thank you…" She said with a tired voice and started drinking slowly. "Did you look inside my bag?"

"Nope."

"How nice… I want it to be a little surprise…"

"Let me guess – a new rag?" He smirked.

"Toshiro, don't be so petty… Yes, it's new piece of clothing. We should land about 1800, right?"

"Yep, I think so."

"Good. Since we're almost on the equator and it's August, the day is really long. I want to take a long walk along the beach encompassing almost all of the Acapulco Bay…"

"I hope you'll be fit to do so…"

"Don't worry, Toshiro. Sunglasses on my eyes and I can power through!"

"You know what?"

"What?" Adolfine asked curiously.

"You look sweet when you're sleeping…"

"T-Thanks…" Adolfine stuttered with her cheeks going red and sipped the rest of the coffee. "You look nice when you're sleeping too… Who would think such a soundly sleeping guy can wreak such havoc in Neuroi ranks…"

"And yet, I failed in Romagna… Two witches lost their magic powers on my watch… I didn't stop Mio from damaging her magic bit by bit every day, and I was stupid enough to get caught by the Neuroi core… That made Yoshika so pissed off, that she used up ALL her magic to save me…"

"Every tribunal would let you go with a slap on the wrist, Toshiro. Mio was already past her retirement age when she joined the 501st in Romagna. She had to sign release forms, so she could go there."

"As in "I Mio Sakamoto blah blah all my fault blah"?"

"Haha, in a brief summary – yes. And as for Yoshika… She is a hero, Toshiro. The first destroyed Hive core in history, and such a big one to boot! But being a hero means you need to sacrifice something. She sacrificed her magic, just as your mother sacrificed her life. Do you think your mother is a hero, Toshiro?"

"Yes… A hero without a medal or rank… A silent hero, not even mentioned on the last page of the worst paper…" Toshiro said quietly.

"A hero nonetheless. I recognize her as a hero, because she enabled you to live on through a selfless sacrifice only a mother would perform… There are plans already to honor your mother, Toshiro, but I can't tell you the details. In fact, you didn't even hear me mention anything…"

"I definitely heard nothing and I didn't thank you from the bottom of my heart…" Toshiro said with a big grin and patted Adolfine on the back.

"Say, Toshiro… Did you… Take a leak?" Adolfine asked suddenly with red cheeks.

"Where did that come from?"

"Because… Those beers are calling…" Adolfine said while rubbing her knees.

"Yeah, I did. Door open, hose out, off it goes."

"You seriously pissed out of a flying plane?!" Adolfine shouted surprised.

"Suuuure. It was fun." Toshiro grinned.

"Jesus… But I want to pee… Damn it!"

"You could tell Udo to land on the water, and you could just…"

"No, stop! Stop! I won't be mooning before my pilots!"

"Then find a bucket…"

"A bucket! Yes, that's it!"

Adolfine tried to move, but she only tensed up, and with a hopeless face she whimpered towards Toshiro.

"Is it that bad?" He asked.

Adolfine nodded so hard that her head could come off.

Toshiro sighed and rummaged the plane for a bucket. Finally he found a tin bucket, about six liters in capacity. He approached Adolfine and extended his hand with the bucket towards her.

Adolfine made a tense looks towards Toshiro. As seconds passed, the awkwardness grew. Finally Adolfine shook her head towards the door to the cockpit.

"Aaaaaah… You want to do it in private? Sorry, Yoshika and I are so tight knit with each other that we don't mind…"

Adolfine's eyes opened wide, and she was about to say something but Toshiro quickly went to the cockpit.

"Oh, Herr Oberst, what's up?" Udo asked.

"Adolfine is relieving herself…"

"Relieving herself…" Fritz looked at Toshiro suspiciously.

"Into a bucket…" Toshiro clarified.

"Ah, that must have to do with before…" Udo blushed and immediately looked forward. "How much did you drink, Herr Oberst?" He asked flustered.

"We both had twenty-two pints of beer."

"Monsters…" Fritz muttered.

"Wow, good that the Generalmajor was asleep, or she would blow up…" Udo said. "She isn't so bold as you, to just stick out your schlong out of the plane door and do it like nothing matters…"

"I guess that was a bit reckless…" Toshiro said.

"Getting trapped in a core is reckless, Herr Oberst. Pissing from a plane is just tomfoolery." Fritz said.

"You don't have to remind me of that one…" Toshiro mumbled.

The door opened behind him and Adolfine entered with a radiant smile.

"Hey, Toshiro, you can leave the pilots and return to me now."

"Crisis averted?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the idea."

"We'll be landing soon, Frau Generalmajor." Udo said and pointed forward.

One could already see the Acapulco Bay from this distance.

"Oh, come on, Toshiro!" Adolfine shouted and pulled him out of the cockpit.

"Whaaa!"

Adolfine ran up to her bag, she grabbed it and said, "Turn around!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Toshiro mumbled and did as he was told.

He waited for a minute or two, listening to rustling and Adolfine humming the Königgrätzer Marsch.

"Okay, finished!" She giggled loudly.

Toshiro turned around, and saw her in her skimpy bikini, but one thing was different. She had some kind of half see-through cloth wrapped around her slim waist, covering her legs just above her knees.

"See, I told you that you've bought a rag." Toshiro said with a wry smile.

"It's a pareo you dingus!" Adolfine pouted.

"A parawhat?"

"Pa-re-o."

"Ah, okay. Well, good choice. Seeing your almost naked butt through the whole stroll along the beach would tip me over, if you know what I mean…"

"You hopeless perv… How does Yoshika put up with you?"

"She puts it in…" Toshiro shrugged.

Adolfine slammed her face with her open palm and started murmuring foul curses. She then sighed and said, "Get dressed…"

He pulled of his shirt and said, "Ready."

"Already? Not planning on taking a dip?"

"Are you implying you'll allow me?"

"A few minutes, maybe…"

"Well okay then… Turn around."

"Awww, but you can do it the fast way…"

"You're telling me to turn around all the time, now it's my turn."

"Remember not to tell you to bend over…"

"You want to bend over?" Toshiro asked with a devilish smile.

"Hell no!" Adolfine shouted and turned around.

Toshiro changed into his trunk, and placed his necessities into his watertight pouch.

"Done." Toshiro said.

Adolfine turned around.

"You really… really… REALLY should change those trunks… They're so… plain compared to the rest of you…"

"What, should I get briefs or something? Adolfine, please…"

"Yeah, maybe that would be overkill…" She said with a slight blush. "But at least change the color, add a pattern or something…"

"Buy me new ones. Continue the tradition or something…"

"Tradition?"

"Of my superiors buying me clothes. Minna literally showered me with uniforms, and she also gave me the trunks I have on me now. And you only bought me a coat up till now… Not that the coat ain't nice…"

"Aaaaah, Minna is better than me in this _competition_… Okay, I'll buy you new trunks once we arrive in Buenos Aires."

"We're landing now, Frau Generalmajor." Udo said through the intercom.

A few seconds later, the airboat shook slightly as it made contact with the calm oceanic waters.

Udo exited the cockpit and opened the door. They could see a small pier painted white.

"Ugh... We can't exit here, it's too high..." Udo said.

"No problem, Udo. Toshiro, care to swim?" Adolfine asked with a smile.

"How about diving?"

"Only half a minute at most, my buoyancy is too positive, heh..." She giggled slightly.

"Oh I see... Haha!"

"Udo, you know what to do, right?"

"Yes, Frau Generalmajor. I'll be back in two hours. Have fun."

"Thank you, Udo. So, Toshiro? Dive time?"

"First!" Toshiro shouted and jumped outside in the emerald waters of the Acapulco Bay.

The water was very warm and crystal clear. Toshiro looked up and saw Adolfine jumping out of the airboat. She dove into the water like a rock, turned down and swam to Toshiro. The pareo made her look like a jelly fish. Toshiro giggled visibly, to which Adolfine tilted her head. He pointed out her pareo, and tried imitating a jellyfish with his hands. Adolfine burst out with laughter, but unfortunately, since it was underwater, it cost her her precious air supply and she had to surface immediately. Toshiro sighed in his head and followed her.

"Toshiro, I'll kill you one day..." Adolfine said between coughs.

"Hey, you really looked like a jellyfish..." Toshiro pouted with a sour face.

"Your impression is what almost made me drown, not the fact you compared me to a jellyfish..." Adolfine pouted with equal force.

"Sorry, Adolfine..."

"Ah, don't sweat. Let's go to the shore."

They swam to the beach and the first thing that Adolfine said was, "My pareo is damn wet now..."

"I can dry it up for you..."

"Oh really? Pleeeeaaaase!"

Toshiro grabbed the pareo with his hands and after a few seconds it was bone dry.

"Wow, thanks!"

"Maybe I should also dry up your bikini?" Toshiro asked with a sly smile.

"You'd wish you goddamn hopeless perv! Remember who the boss here is!"

"No sense of humor at all..." Toshiro sighed.

"It's not that the girls let you rub their breasts just like that, with a few exceptions, right?"

"I never asked."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. But you probably think that with Yoshika's small breasts I have the urge to grope anything that's Minna size or bigger, huh?"

"Don't jump into conclusions, Toshiro..." Adolfine mumbled.

Toshiro sighed and looked around.

"How long is this beach?" He asked.

"About seven kilometers, Toshiro."

"Shit, nice beach..."

"It's one of the favorite vacation retreats for us Karlslanders." Adolfine explained.

"What about the Neuroi in this region?"

"There are two hives in Amazonia, but that's about it when it comes to all the Liberions."

"Only two hives..." Toshiro mumbled.

"Toshiro... Are you perhaps thinking about doing something reckless?"

"Yes."

"Don't. Until you're new gear is finished, you're banned from sortieing."

"But moooooooom..."

"Shush! That's final!"

"Okay..."

"Let's walk down the beach, shall we?"

"Kay..." Toshiro mumbled.

And so they ventured forth on a slow stroll along the Acapulco Bay. The sand warmed their feet in a pleasant way, and the waves crashing on the beachhead relaxed them. Despite it being the evening, there were still many people occupying the beach on towels, hidden under parasols, drinking cold beer or eating ice cream, both sold by well-tanned individuals walking around and advertising their wares loudly. Adolfine gave into the mood and halted one of the _salesmen_.

"Two beers please." She said.

"Coming right up, señorita!" He cheered and reached into his portable cooler, pulling out some local beer brand.

"Toshiro…" Adolfine looked at him with deer eyes.

Toshiro sighed and paid the man a shilling. He almost exploded out of joy, running around like a madman.

"Nice, Toshiro. You just gave him a hundred percent tip."

"You should be the one paying anyway, that's one. Secondly, you should stop drinking for today."

"Fight fire with fire, Toshiro."

"I prefer fighting fire with water. Did I tell you how I sobered up the girls back in Britannia?"

"No…"

"Well… Here's what I did…"

And Toshiro told Adolfine about the cold shower treatment after Shirley's _sonic boom _party.

"You monster…"

"I had to, Adolfine. Worked for me, worked for them."

"Maybe I should have undergone the same…"

"I didn't think of it, since its summer and the waters of the Pacific are rather warm now…"

"Ah, enough rambling…" Adolfine said and uncapped her bottle with her fingers. "Let's drink."

Toshiro followed her and shouted, "Trost!"

Their bottles clanged together and they started drinking. And at the same time, they spat the beer out.

"What is this scheiße?!" Adolfine shouted.

"Bleh, I know the line between something that needs acquired taste to like and simply inedible…"

"Where's that peddler?!" Adolfine shouted furiously and started scanning the surrounding area. "There he is!" She yelled and activated her magic.

She took a swing and threw the almost full bottle at the salesman. It hit him right between the shoulder blades, knocking him off his feet. He started spouting some curses in Hispanian, flailing his arms around wildly, but when his and Adolfine's stares met, he turned around and started running so fast that he produced a dust cloud ideally concealing his retreat.

"Hurrrrgh… I'll reimburse you, Toshiro."

"Pah, don't sweat it, Adolfine. If I cared about money, I would leave you without your money, without your clothes and maybe without your dignity back before we landed in LA…"

"But you were close…"

"I was… But you seriously didn't think I would force you to strip from your panties, which by the way are nice I have to admit?"

"Oh, thanks… Ah, well, you know, I'm a bit in the dark regarding some matters concerning you behavior and personality so… Don't be mad if I'm a bit _stuck up_, okay? I simply don't know where you draw the line between horseplay and "Let's get down baby"..."

"Hahahaha! You said it as if you were a Liberian!" Toshiro laughed and with a serious face he added, "Adolfine, it will always be horseplay, until I visibly signal it."

"Okay… Let's continue, or we'll be some kind of tourist attraction…"

"Yeah, the people are looking weird at us now…"

Evading the curious looks of the beachgoers, the continued in a counterclockwise direction along the arc that formed the beach. Time quickly passed as they silently trotted forward, and soon, after the whole sky turned orange, Adolfine asked, "Do you know what time it is, Toshiro?"

"Do I look like I have a watch?"

"Hmmm…"

_"__2000 dead, Toshiro. Don't be such a grump towards Auntie."_

_"__Sheesh…"_

"It's 2000. At least that's what Yuki told me."

"How nice of her. We should signal Udo as soon as we see him… Any ideas?"

"You didn't tell me to bring a light or flares… But I have an idea…"

They waited a few minutes, and soon they saw the airboat skimming into the bay. Toshiro summoned Aganaimaru, raised it over his head, pumped magic into it so it started glowing brightly and waved the sword around.

"Hahaha! How ingenious!" Adolfine applauded.

Udo managed to get as close to them as possible, but they still had to swim a bit. After getting inside and drying off, Adolfine said, "Next destination – Lima."

* * *

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	6. Chapter 6 - Last Stop

Chapter 6 – Last stop

"You look a bit sad, Toshiro." Amaterasu said to Toshiro, sitting under an eternally blooming cherry tree in her realm.

"Oh come on, you're a goddess… You know what I'm thinking about…"

"Hey, I wanted to keep this conversation level… Still want to?"

"You know I want…"

"So, what is it?"

"Yoshika… I'm concerned about her… She's sailing across half a world, and then she's going to study in some mountainous country in the middle of Europe… And things were going just fine… Well, maybe besides the fact that she's now devoid of magic… We have to snuggle less, or she'll wear down too soon…"

"The latter really amuses me, Toshiro, but your libido will be okay… And not that sex is everything for the both of you, right? It's just a pastime to relieve the stress… As for the former… Hmm… I can tell you that everything will be okay."

"You mean it?"

"Did I ever lie to you, Toshiro?"

"Well, you only withheld the truth."

"Hohoho, mister wise-guy back-talking to a goddess! If I wouldn't like you, like really REALLY like you, I would smack you so hard you'd witness the creation of the Universe…"

"Aw, but I like you too, Amaterasu… You're almost like a mother to me… Well, mom is technically dead, but… you know…"

"Yes, yes…" She sighed. "Hey, why don't I summon her here?"

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…"

"I already see it written on your face – what will I tell her when she asks why she doesn't have grandchildren yet?"

"Heh… Defendant found guilty… I would like to avoid particular topic…"

"But come on, Toshiro… You always miss your mom…"

"Oh okay… Bring…"

Before he could even finished, a ray of light appeared before Toshiro, and when it disappeared, Akiko was standing before them.

"Ah! Son!" Akiko shouted and hugged Toshiro tightly. "What's with that hairdo? Where are my grandchildren?"

"How about – how have you been, my dearest firstborn?" Toshiro asked with a sly smile.

"Hey, hey, don't you backtalk to your mother like that!" She waved her finger with a serious face but she smiled and said, "How have you been, Toshiro?"

"How much do you know?"

"Well, you know… Amaterasu sometimes shows me stuff…"

"How much…" Toshiro murmured with red cheeks.

"Oh, not that much…" Akiko's cheeks also went red. "But I saw the fight with the Super Hive…"

"It called itself the 'Alpha Hive'." Toshiro interrupted.

"Alpha, Super – I don't care… It's sad what happened to Yoshika… And that Mio woman… But how you organized your proposal, oh gods!" Akiko shouted in glee. "I'm proud of you, Toshiro! You were so romantic!"

"Heheh… Thanks, Mom…"

"And you're a real dear for helping Yoshika and her small family around the house. I wonder why you're waiting with the last step, huh? I want a wedding!"

"You'll get a wedding… Hey, Amaterasu, you won't be mad if it will be a Christian ceremony?"

"Fine by me… I'll just ask the old fart in his Heaven if he'll be okay…"

"A Christian ceremony! A church! Mendelssohn's March! A white wedding dress!" Akiko enumerated with sparkling eyes. "I forbid you to do a Buddhist or Shinto wedding!"

"Hahahahaha!" Toshiro laughed heartily. "My life is being decided by my dead mother and a goddess, hahahaha! A shrink would have a field day!"

Toshiro suddenly silenced and hugged Akiko.

"Oh mom… You would make such a good mother-in-law for Yoshika… And a good friend for Sayaka… I would buy you an apartment, no, a house…!"

"Toshiro… Toshiro…" Akiko sighed and slowly patted Toshiro's back. "If it weren't for me sacrificing myself, we wouldn't probably have this conversation, or eventually it would be the other way around… What you did was truly valorous. I don't know what you had in mind, but in turn, your actions brought happiness to at least one whole nation… And you can be with Yoshika, and vice versa. So stop moping for Amaterasu's sake!"

"Yeah, heheh… It's the first time someone is calling my name in vain while standing directly beside me… Weird feeling…"

"Haha, you're so funny, Ami…" Akiko giggled.

"Hey, Aki, I told you not to call me Ami!"

"Aki?" Toshiro snorted restraining himself. "What are you two, a couple now?"

"No!" Both yelled at him at the same time.

"We're just spending some time together, you perv…" Amaterasu pouted. "I don't want her to get lonely…"

"Yes, Ami is a really nice conversation partner, Toshiro. You should retreat to this realm more often." Akiko said.

"Maybe later…" Toshiro murmured. "I guess the other gods and supernatural entities in Takama-ga-hara aren't exactly the most social, huh?"

"Ugh, son… They're still in the Edo period at most… We have literary no common topics…"

"Heh… Thanks for keeping company to mother, Amaterasu."

"You're welcome… T-man…" Amaterasu giggled.

"OH NOT YOU TOO…"

"Hahaha, I couldn't resist… Sorry, Toshiro, I know you hate that nickname…"

Toshiro looked with a fierce gaze at Amaterasu.

"Oh no, Toshiro, don't you DARE to call me that!"

"My mother can, so I can too… Ami…"

"Stop, Toshiro… or… or… or…" Amaterasu repeated with an increasing blush on her cheeks.

"Or what, Ami… Wait a second… Wait, why are you blushing? A goddess blushing? Wait, let me review the mythology… Hmmm…"

"Yes…" Amaterasu replied with a distant voice.

"Really? In all these millennia, not even once? But I thought Tsukuyomi…"

"He was my brother! I don't know why these damn Fusojin tied me with him in some incestuous relationship, for fucks sake…"

Toshiro sighed and said, "Okay, Amaterasu… I won't call you by that diminutive, since it's a bit troublesome for you…"

"And you won't tell anyone about what you've learned now?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well maybe you could tell Yoshika… No, not even Yoshika. Same embargo as the rest of the universe-vital info."

"Aw crap… So much knowledge, such limited audience… It's not like I can call the Pope for a chat, right?"

"Well, not… But I can always erase your memories, but it could be a bit… painful…"

"No thanks, I don't want to be more messed up than I am... I'll just shoulder the weight of the information… Not that I think about it all the damn time, no… Ignorance is bliss… Works like a charm…"

"You should go back to sleep, Toshiro." Akiko said. "This is probably the last sleep occasion before Buenos Aires, and you probably want to meet your grandma fully conscious, right?"

"Yeah… I suppose I should let my soul rest along with the rest of me… Bye mom, see you sometime later!"

"Bye, Toshiro!"

"Bye, Amaterasu."

"Sleep tight, Toshiro." Amaterasu said with a smile but quickly added, "Hey, want a conversation topic with your boss?"

"With Adi? Sure!"

"Ask her about Hijikata."

"Whozat?"

"Just ask her." Amaterasu made a sly smile and the proverbial lights went out.

* * *

Toshiro opened his eyes several hours later. He saw light seeping through the small window in the doors on the sides of the plane. He looked around and saw Adolfine sleeping on a blanket. She was all over the place, still sleeping off yesterday's drinking adventures.

_Should I wake her up… Or no… It's bright outside already… But she looks so cute and feminine at the same time when she's sleeping, damn it… And who the fuck is Hijikata?_

Toshiro kneeled beside the sleeping Adolfine and wanted to poke her in the ribs, but his hand got swiftly caught. He twitched, not expecting this, but Adolfine didn't show any other reaction. He tried to pull his hand back, but she held it in an iron grip. After the fifth tug, she pulled herself, making him fall right beside her.

"Uh... Adolfine?"

She released his hand, but in turn she embraced him while mumbling some unintelligible stuff. She reeled him in tightly, so tight that her breasts almost drilled a hole in his chest.

_She wants to use me as a pillow or what? Hmmm…_

Toshiro freed his left arm and slid it under her head. She started wiggling her head immediately, and after a few seconds she sighed in glee and continued to sleep soundly.

_Great… Adolfine wants to cuddle subconsciously… I don't have anything against but… it's weird…_

After an hour, Adolfine opened her eyes slowly.

"Mhhhhhhhhmmmmm… Toshiro… What are you doing…" She mumbled.

"Submitting to your subconscious cuddling urges."

"WhaaaAAAAA!" She shouted and jumped up. "Were you trying to… to… to…"

"I only tried to poke you in the ribs, but then you snatched and subdued me to be your body pillow."

"I… I really did that?" Adolfine asked with a perplexed expression.

"Yuhum…"

"S-S-Sorry…'

"I found it pleasant, heh…"

"I suppose… You didn't sleep with Yoshika for two days, I guess you have a hug deficiency or something…"

"Nah, it's not that bad… I endured a lot in Africa… Although I should say that our relationship wasn't so full-fledged like right now…"

"My womanly intuition was right, hah!"

"Maybe… But what does your womanly intuition say about somebody called 'Hijikata'?"

"Huh? Why bring him up now?"

"Who is he?"

"You don't know?"

"No."

"But how did you learn his name even?"

"A good looking goddess told me…"

"Aaaaaahhh… Well, Sergeant Keisuke Hijikata of the Imperial Fuso Navy is, or actually WAS Mio's assistant."

"What? Her assistant? She never told me a word, nor never had I've seen him to be honest…"

"Well, during the first half of 1944, he was with Mio in Britannia, but due to Minna's… condition with men, he had to work remotely from Folkestone. After they both got back to Fuso, he helped Mio in scouting Yoshika. However, before departure to Britannia, Mio decided to leave Hijikata behind."

"Oh I can guess why… Two men would make Minna blow her lid straight away…"

"Almost the words Mio used, hah!"

"But why didn't he join us in Romagna then?"

"I'm at fault, Toshiro…"

"Huh?"

"You know, Mio wanted to take him to Romagna, and she almost succeeded. But, my informants were working clockwork, and I hindered it."

"But why, Adolfine?"

"Because two men in the base would be a disaster… You alone are already a ticking time bomb, but what would happen if you two teamed up in mischief?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Toshiro said feigning ignorance.

"Haha, yeah, yeah…"

"But how did you stop him actually? Judging by what you've said it was a photo finish moment!"

"And it was! The second my informant called me, they were preparing to depart for Romagna. I immediately called your good friend, the base commander, and forced him into writing a transfer order to the Ryukyu Islands Forward Outpost with yesterday's date. He handed him the transfer order, still wet from ink, just as Hijikata was leaving for the docks."

"And Mio, did she say something?"

"She was furious, but she told me on our little phone chat we had three weeks ago that she knew it was somebodies meddling. But right back then, she accepted it with a stone face. Hijikata supposedly whined a bit, but he just went along the orders…"

"I should meet the poor sap one day…"

"Why bother… Beside, Mio really didn't need an assistant to be honest. I mean, seriously – in Britannia, Minna and Trude were taking care of the paperwork, and Mio was doing her gauntlet trainings. In Romagna, you entered the fray, and Mio was too busy burning down her magic with that sword of hers to need an assistant. And you were always a helping hand, right?"

"Right."

"See? Hijikata was unnecessary, QED."

"I applaud your argumentation skills… So… We'll be probably nearing Lima sometime s…"

"We'll be landing in a minute, Frau Generalmajor." Udo interrupted him through the intercom.

"…oon." Toshiro finished with a disconcerted look.

"Heehee…" Adolfine giggled. "Okay, we're only doing a refuel, so we'll have like fifteen minutes of free time for us. We don't even need to change."

"Then I'll just do a quick jog to straighten out my limbs." Toshiro said and started took off the top of his uniform.

"And why are you doing it half-naked?" Adolfine asked curiously.

"For better transpiration, heh…"

"Whatever…" Adolfine sighed.

They waited for the plane to land, and Toshiro ran out into the unknown docks, passing a tanker truck on the way. He ran into a cross-shaped passageway between four big hangars. Once he was nearing the junction, three men approached him from the front. Their faces would suffice for them to get ten years in a maximum security jail.

"Ola, gringo! Where are you going, ah?" The one from the center asked.

"Forward." Toshiro answered.

"This is our turf, gringo. You have to pay." The one on the left said.

"And if I don't?"

"Then we use these…" The one on the right said with a cold voice.

The three of them pulled out big machetes from behind their backs and started waving them around.

"Oh loooook at you, so scaaaary…" Toshiro said like a professional drag queen. "I bet those blades are ten times longer than your dicks, am I right, boys?"

They rushed at him, flailing their machetes over their heads and roaring wildly. Toshiro didn't have time to play around with them, so he disabled them with swift strikes to their vital points. They limped down on the hard concrete like sacks of potatoes.

"You I will kill for trying to backstab me!" Toshiro shouted.

He heard metal clanging against the floor and a scared cry for help slowly leaving his location.

"As I thought…" He murmured and jogged on.

When he returned to the airboat, he missed the tanker again. Once he stopped before the airboat, Adolfine crawled out of the inside.

"You look cheerful, Toshiro. Did something good happen?" Adolfine asked.

"Oh, I met some of the local fauna."

"Local fauna… Is that a euphemism?"

"Pretty much… Anyway, three of them are lying unconscious on the ground and one is trying to beat my marathon record, albeit with shit in his briefs."

Adolfine sighed and said, "Scum… Scum everywhere… Come on, Toshiro. Last straight, and we'll be in Buenos Aires. Udo will step on."

"Coming!"

Toshiro ran inside and closed the door behind him, not even conscious of what would happen later today.

* * *

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	7. Chapter 7 - Exitus

Chapter 7 – Exitus

"Tooooshiroooo… Pleaaase give back my braaaa…" Adolfine whimpered.

"You desperately had to try again, huh?" Toshiro said with a smug face.

"I didn't know you were THAT good, sheeeeesh… Please, bra, now..." She pouted.

Toshiro looked at the piece of lingerie he had in his right hand, which was a very smooth, black sports bra.

_It really does its job making Adolfine's boobs a bit smaller._

"Just answer me one thing, Adolfine."

"Yes?"

"If you're banned from sorties, and you're working out at pre-set times, then why wear a sport bra all the time?"

Adolfine's red cheeks got even redder and she answered, "I don't want to be too big an eyecatch…"

"Yeeaaaaah… I see… Your jacket and shirt really do their job, masking your true sizes, heh…"

"Will you give back my bra or should I punch you first…" Adolfine grumbled.

"Here…" He said and threw it back to her.

She put it on and said, "I'm working around a dozen of men, Toshiro. I don't want kindle any unnecessary hopes in them… You know…"

"Riiiiiight… As if your current getup isn't enough to make a healthy man rowdy…"

"But I like my tight pants…"

"You're actually the only witch with long pants I saw, Adolfine. You're one of a kind, heh…"

"Well, as I said, I'm banned from sortieing, so I might as well wear normal pants… It's not like women have to run around with only panties to cover their asses, or at most tights, right?"

"Yeaaaah… The world sure took a weird path after medieval times… Back then, showing an ankle would be immoral, and now? Girls can run around in their panties, and men don't even bat an eyelid... But at least running topless is still taboo, heh…"

"Maybe in the future that will also change, haha!"

"Yeah, you never know, heheh…"

Adolfine's face got serious and she asked, "Toshiro… What will you tell your grandma when you meet her?"

"What… What… I don't know, honestly… It will go somehow… But I hope the stroke didn't make her a babbling vegetable, or my heart will break apart…"

"No, no, Toshiro. When I left, she was… only paralyzed from waist down…"

"Only… Nice only… Would you like to be 'only' paralyzed? Or 'only' blind?"

"Sorry…"

"I don't even know how she looks like, what temper she has, how her voice sounds, how she smells… Nothing… I hope we won't be too late…"

Adolfine stood up and went to the small window in one of the doors.

"We're approaching Buenos Aires already, Toshiro. Half an hour max, and you'll see your grandma."

Toshiro stood up and positioned himself beside Adolfine. He looked out through the small window and looked upon the big city beneath. Udo soon confirmed that they would be landing in the New Port of Buenos Aires as the plane turned to enter the city from the south-east.

"Oh, is that the Bismarck I see?" Toshiro asked Adolfine surprised, seeing the enormous battleship in the port.

"Yes, Toshiro. It's here for repairs. The ship beside it is the Prinz Eugen. They'll both return to Europe soon to patrol the Mediterranean."

"I see…"

"You have all your stuff packed already?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Then you should break out your long sleeve version of your uniform?"

"Why? It's warm now…"

"The plane is now heated from the equatorial sun, dummy. It's winter here, my dear Toshiro. The mean temperature for Buenos Aires is about ten degrees."

"I sometimes wonder if I really have an IQ of 150…" Toshiro sighed. "Maybe I should also put on my coat, huh?"

"Uhhh… Maybe you could give it to me?" Adolfine asked shyly. "I forgot mine…"

"Be my guest, Adolfine. I'm a hot guy anyway, heh…"

Toshiro approached his chest and pulled out the coat from its inside. He threw it to Adolfine.

Then he quickly changed into his long sleeved Luftwaffe uniform.

"Aaaaah… I always like you in this uniform, Toshiro. You look like the embodiment of a Karlslander, well, apart from the red eyes and white long hair, heehee…"

"And you look like a scarecrow, heheh…" Toshiro laughed briefly while looking at Adolfine with the coat obviously too big for her.

"It's not that bad, don't be such a dick… At least it doesn't slop on the ground…"

"Barely. But you're rather tall to be honest."

"Yeaaah… A meter seventy is something amongst women… Comparatively I should have about a meter ninety if I was a guy."

"Adolf Galland… Hmmm… Hurrrgh, perish the thought! But… you probably would be a handsome stud if you were a guy, hahaha!"

"Of course! I would look better than Casanova, hahahaha!"

_Adolfine's counterpart from the other universe is really Adolf Galland. He's a really good looking guy… Shame I can't tell the gals that they are in fact guys in some alternate Earth, bwahahahaha!_

The plane landed. Adolfine opened the door and a cold wind blew inside.

"Brrrrrrrr… Wow, ten degrees or less…" Adolfine shuddered and buttoned up her lent coat. "And it was so damn warm in Lima…"

"Maybe it was a warmer day…" Toshiro said with his personal belongings on his shoulder.

"Ah, whatever, let's go. We have a car waiting for us."

They stepped out to the concrete pier. The sun was setting already, almost completely below the horizon.

"Truly winter…" Toshiro mumbled.

They went on across the docs, and Adolfine led them to a Kübelwagen with a closed roof.

"What, no limo, no driver?"

"Josef is bedridden now, a flu. And why bother with a limo… You got awfully picky, Toshiro… A True Soldier of Karlsland thanks God that he can ride anything!"

"Yeah, yeah… Thanks, Amaterasu…" Toshiro mumbled, loaded the somehow chest in the back seat, and then sat on the passenger's seat forward.

"I'm surprised you don't want to drive yourself."

"I don't know the city, and I admit it."

"Very reasonable. The fuel cock, if you mind?"

"Yeah…" Toshiro bend over slightly and turned the fuel cock lever below and before him.

Adolfine turned the key and the engine started immediately. She flicked in first gear and drove out of the docks.

Despite the twilight, Toshiro could see that the architectonical variety of the city was rather impressive. The colonial style mixed itself with Bavarian accent, and even some Romagnan hints.

"Before the war, Neue Karlsland was just a semi-colony for Karlsland. Its own government, the state language was Hispanian et cetera. About 85% of the people here were 'natives' so to speak, and the rest were mostly Karlslanders and Romagnans. But after Operation Bifrost… Well, the proportions are now 40-50-10… And the 50 is both Karlslanders and Ostmarkers…" Adolfine explained seeing Toshiro's curiosity. "The country is now led by a military council with representatives from both Karlslands, but besides that, nothing changed. Well, maybe besides the fact that your chance of encountering a Karslander in Buenos is now over four times bigger, heh…"

"I see… Where are we going by the way?"

"The Wehrmachtsklinik."

"Grandma is in an army clinic?"

"Yeah. The Kaiser doesn't have to pull punches now that you're 'official news' so to speak…"

"I imagine… But I hope he cared for her anyway…"

"Yes, Toshiro. Secrets being secrets, but a human being is a human being, and the Kaiser had been taking care of Mary on the side. She is his family after all…"

The rest of the way they spent in silence. Adolfine stopped the car on the parking lot before a rather big clinic. They entered the building. Two guards were standing before the door, but they dispersed immediately seeing the two of them.

They approached the reception desk. A chestnut haired woman in her thirties was sitting in a chair, filling out some form. She must have felt them, because she raised her head as they leaned over towards her.

"Ah, Miss Galland. Are you here to visit Mary?" She asked.

"Yes. Is she… available?"

"Yes, but she's very weak… Don't stress her too much… And is this…" She squinted her eyes looking at Toshiro.

"Yes, this is him. Can we go now?"

"Yes."

They scaled the stairs to the second floor. Adolfine led him to room 207.

"Are you ready?"

"Sort of…"

"Oh, one thing… She signed a DNR release…"

"A DNR?"

"Do Not Resuscitate…"

"Oh… Really?"

"Yes…"

"Let's go in already…"

"Then I'm opening the door…"

She opened the door and entered, with Toshiro shyly following her. A single person was lying in the room with only a single bed in it.

The person in question was an elderly woman, with short cut grey hair. She turned her head towards them.

"Oh, Adolfine…" She said with a frail voice. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Mary, it's me… And look who I brought you…"

"Oh?" Mary expressed her surprise and with a shaking hand she picked up a pair of thick glasses from her nightstand. "Hmmm… I think I saw that youngster somewhere but… I don't know…"

"Go, Toshiro…" Adolfine whispered and poked him.

Rigidly, Toshiro moved forwarded and sat on the chair beside her bed.

"H-Hello, grandma… I'm Toshiro…"

"Toshiro… O Mein Gott… My grandson came to me… Come, lean over… I want to touch you…"

A bit shyly Toshiro leaned a bit over Mary. She raised her arm and slowly stroked his left cheek.

"My… My… If not for the red eyes and that weird white hair, you would look just like your teenage father…"

"W-would I?"

"Yes… Do you want me to tell me about him?"

"Yes, please!"

"Okay… Listen carefully… After I had an affair with the previous Kaiser, I realized one thing – I'm 25, single and I will definitely be pregnant, since I was in my _days_. And nobody would believe a maid from Klausdorf she had an affair with the Kaiser, oh no… So I went to the only man that worshiped me, but I was too reluctant to acknowledge his courting – Conrad Edelweiss. I gave my body to him on our first date. He was surprised I did it so fast, but he was a man of responsibility and he proposed to me the next day."

"About nine months later I bore Lucas…" She continued. "But there was a slight problem you see… Despite what you see now, I was blonde and Conrad had black hair. Lucas had dark chestnut hair… The cat was out of the bag… He was about to throw me out but when I told him who the father is… If you'd see his face… He changed immediately. He raised Lucas as if he was his own child. He even forgave me my… insincerity…"

"Lucas was growing fast…" Mary followed up. "He was a very bright child, having the best grades in the schools he attended in Karls-Krone… Then he went to the Posnania University… And he met his half-brother… Of course both didn't know of their blood ties, but it didn't matter… They were best pals… He was a successful scientist… Up until that day…"

"The day, when he died…" Toshiro mumbled.

"I was truly in pain after hearing that, with my only child dying… You could ask – why did I and Conrad settle for only one kid? Because he was infertile… He could pound all night long for a week, and nothing…" Mary continued "And then, war broke out. And another tragedy. Conrad was already eighty, and his frail heart gave up after hearing the news in the radio. We managed to bury him in the village cemetery before I was evacuated from Klausdorf, and given an apartment in Berlin. Uprooting a seventy-five year old tree… And then the big exodus to this country…"

"It seems Death has a special relationship with our family…" Toshiro said silently.

"Death is only a part of life, Toshiro… No more, no less… Only God is immortal…"

"So I heard…"

"And I'm truly thankful to God that I could see you before I die… I really am…" She said and grabbed his hand.

Her hands were weak and cold.

"Me to, grandma…"

"In the nightstand… A box with memento's…" She pointed at the nightstand.

Toshiro turned his gaze towards the piece of furniture, but at the same time, the grip of Mary's hand loosened. He quickly turned his head back towards Mary. Her eyes were closed, her head lying limply on the pillow, and her hand hanging down from the bed.

"Grandma…" Toshiro asked silently. "Grandma…"

He felt someone hugging him. He looked up and saw Adolfine with a morbid face expression. She shook her head.

_"__You have my sincere condolences, Toshiro…"_

"I'm sorry, Toshiro…" Adolfine said.

Toshiro took a few deep breath and said, "At least I could be with her in her last minutes…"

"Wait a second, Toshiro. I'll call in a doctor…"

"Ehhh… Even now you think about order in the papers… But otherwise I would think you ain't a Karlslander…"

Adolfine went out into the corridor, and after only a few seconds she dragged in a doctor. He looked at Toshiro carefully, but it seems that Mary interested him more. He approached her, checked her pulse, opened her eyelids, looked into her eyes and said, "Exitus…" and he crossed himself.

"Toshiro, go to the lobby in the first floor…" Adolfine said with a soft voice. "I'll do all the formalities for you…"

"Can you really?"

"Yes… I am your superior after all…" She gave off a small smile and added, "Go."

"Thanks…"

Toshiro slowly walked down to the lobby and took a seat.

_"__You're surprisingly calm, Toshiro… No wild outbursts, no crying…"_

_"__Maybe it's the shock still working… I don't know… Maybe it's because I wasn't too attached to her? Or maybe death has become something common for me… I really don't know…"_

_"__Don't overthink this…"_

_"__I'll try…"_

Toshiro sat just like that, leaning forward. Time flew past him, as if he was frozen in place. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up. It was Adolfine with an uncertain face expression, holding a blue paper box.

"How are you doing?" She asked.

"A bit on the shitty side…"

"I did all the arrangement with the hospital, the funeral parlor, the church, the cemetery and with your Uncle… The funeral will be tomorrow at 1600… And these are yours…"

"How did you manage to do it on a Sunday?" Toshiro asked apathetically while grabbing the box from Adolfine.

"My name opens a lot of ears and doors, Toshiro… Come on, let's go home…"

"Home?"

"I'll explain in the car…" She said and put her hand over his shoulder. "Come."

They both exited the hospital. It was dark already, with the seldom street lamps giving away some orange tinted light. The two entered the car, and Adolfine started the engine. As she drove off, she said, "You'll be crashing in my house, Toshiro."

"Your house? Why not some barracks or…"

"Toshiro, for crying out loud… No such high ranked officer in his right mind will live in the barracks here… My house is big enough for even four people but… I live alone…"

"You sure didn't waste time… You even have a house here… Not very optimistic of you…"

"I'm a realist… I knew that this war would go on some time..."

"Realistic and pragmatic… A Karlslander through and through…" Toshiro said with a smile.

The car stopped before a rather big house, looking like it was transplanted from the heart of Karlsland.

"Wow… I feel like I'm in Karlsland…"

"Wait until the sun comes up. This district is basically almost completely flooded with Karlslanders. Get your stuff."

Toshiro plucked out his chest from the back of the car and walked up to the gate. Adolfine opened it with a sturdy key and let him into the front yard. She then opened the front door and went inside. After a few second light flooded the inside.

"Come on in, don't stand there. You're letting the cold inside."

"Oh, okay…"

Toshiro quickly entered the house.

"I'll be damned… I already see that this is like a typical Karlslander house from the pictures I saw…"

"I shelled out some nice money on this crib…" Adolfine shrugged. "Follow me, there's an unused guest bedroom upstairs."

Toshiro followed her upstairs. She stood at the door just opposite the staircase and said, "This is it. I made it tidy before I left for Fuso, so don't worry, no spiders and cobwebs."

"Heh…"

Toshiro entered the room and found the light switch. The room was simple but spacious. A small wooden desk in one corner, a big bed in another. A nightstand, a closet, a rug on the floor, blue curtains, two windows.

"Looks cozy…"

"Nothing compared to your room in Pescara, buuuuut…"

"No, no… It's enough… Still better than my room in the clinic…"

Toshiro dropped his chest in the middle of the room, and placed his wallet and pistol belt on the nightstand.

"Do you have a shower or tub? I need a refreshment…"

"Both in the bathroom. Down the stairs, across the corridor."

"Okay, thanks. Any bath supplies for me?"

"Uhmmm… Ah, yes, I put them in your nightstand!"

Toshiro looked inside of it and pulled out a bar of soap, shampoo and a towel.

"Okay, be right back. Well, maybe in half an hour or so…"

"Oh, but the water is cold…"

"I have my own heat with me, don't worry."

"Kay…"

Toshiro went down and he found the bathroom. He made himself a bath, almost boiling hot. After washing himself thoroughly, he went back to his room, wrapped only in a towel.

"Hey, Adolfine, I left the bath wat…"

Adolfine was lying in his bed on her left side, waiting for him.

"Adolfine?"

"I'm sorry, Toshiro, but I wanted to quietly give you back the money for that beer and…" She showed him a piece of paper. "I found this…"

_The 'permission slip' from Yoshika…_

"Ugh… And?"

"Well, I thought that… Maybe… I could cheer you up a bit…"

"Not today, Adolfine, please… Not today…"

"Oh… I'm sorry… I… I'm sorry for being so insensitive…"

"I appreciate that you're caring for me but… I'm seriously not in the mood for doing it today…"

"Okay… But… I'll hold onto this until tomorrow, okay?" She winked.

"Tomorrow… We'll see. If you don't mind, the water I left is still hot…"

"I don't, thanks." Adolfine stood up and walked up to him.

She kissed him on the cheek.

"Have a good night, Toshiro. Try to sleep."

"I'll try… Night, Adolfine…"

Adolfine left him. He opened the chest and pulled out the memento box from Mary. It was full of photos and newspaper cutouts. A few were showing his grandma and presumably grandpa. A wedding photo. A photo in the hospital, with a newborn in Mary's hands.

The rest of the photo's had one theme in common – a boy slowly turning into a man. Toshiro recognized him – it was his father.

His graduation photo from college. Toshiro could even recognize his uncle, despite the changes aging made to him.

A photo of him in a uniform.

Some random photo of him in a lab coat.

A photo of him and Ichiro holding hands over some kind of prototype Striker.

And the same photo Yoshika has – Ichiro shaking hands with the young Mio, with a Striker hanging on chains in the back, and his father behind Ichiro.

Underneath all the photos, Toshiro found something else – a 1st Class Iron Cross, complete with certificate.

'Am 18 Januar 1937 zum Lucas Andrew Edelweiss verliehen'

Just as Toshiro was about to stuff everything back into the box, he saw that the bottom had a corner rolled up. He carefully pinched it, and a layer came off. Toshiro turned the piece of paper around, and looked at it.

It was a black and white photo. His father was standing before an artificial background with a dark haired woman in a light colored yukata. He knew well who the woman was. It was Akiko.

He put everything back into the box and back into the chest. He turned off the lights, and slammed himself on the bed. Now was the time to let go.

* * *

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	8. Chapter 8 - Visiting HQ

Chapter 8 – Visiting HQ

Toshiro looked at a ceiling unfamiliar to him.

"Ugh, where am I…" He murmured to himself,

He looked around.

"Oh, right… I'm in Adolfine's home, somewhere in Buenos Aires… Yuki, time?"

_"__You adapted quite nicely, Toshiro. 0620, almost normal."_

Suddenly memories of the last evening came to him.

_Ah, crap… What an emotional evening it was, damn… And Adi tried to 'comfort' me… On her own volition! But I really wasn't in the mood… Less than ten hours till the funeral, rather fast must I say… Time to drag my ass off the bed._

Toshiro stood beside the bed and scratched himself in a well know spot.

_Hmmm... It's warm here…_

Toshiro looked at the wall under the windows and saw cast iron heaters.

_As I thought… But this means that… Shit, Adi had to wake up at least half an hour earlier than me, probably go down to the basement, stoke the fire under the water boiler and then keep it running… Aaaaahhhggghh, and I'm supposed to be the man… But on the other hand, she also wears pants, heh…_

Toshiro dressed himself in his long sleeved attire and went down the stairs.

"To the left!" Adolfine shouted suddenly.

Toshiro looked to the left, and saw a rather well equipped kitchen plus a table for at least eight people, with an appropriate amount of chairs. Adolfine was standing by the stove and frying some scrambled eggs with a big fat wurst.

"Adolfine in an apron… Something is wrong here…"

"How about good morning, huh?"

"Ah, yes… Good morning, Adolfine."

"Good morning, Toshiro. How was it?"

"I cried myself to sleep… When I looked through the contents of the box… I just couldn't hold back anymore… But I slept like a log, if you're worried about that."

"I hope… You'll visit HQ today, but don't worry, no work planned for you."

"Even Karlslanders know when to stop working…" Toshiro said with a smile.

"Hey, hey, don't make fun of this proud nation! You're one of us now anyway!" Adolfine pouted loudly.

"Heheheh…"

"It looks like breakfasts ready. First drawer to my left – forks and knifes. Cupboard to my right – plates and glasses. Fetch some juice from the fridge."

"Ah, I see that you're using your authority from the morning…"

"I have to use it while I… ah, you can have a beer if you'd like, I'll be driving today."

"Nah… But anyway, thanks for heating up the house, you probably had to get up… forty minutes ago?"

"An hour. I did some quick exercises in my gym."

"I have to see that room… But wait a second… If you have the gym here, that means I sometimes caught you in your house, right?"

"Yes. I have a phone here, complete with a small office. I actually prefer to work at home, but you know – in the HQ I can keep tabs on everything."

Toshiro got all the necessities he was told to fetch, and they sat at the table.

"Mhhhm! Dewishush!" Toshiro mumbled with his mouth full.

"Oh have some dignity… But thanks… How does it compare to Yoshika's?"

"Basically same stuff. You can't really mess up scrambled eggs and fried sausage…"

"I don't know if that's a compliment or if you just pricked me with a poisoned needle…"

"A compliment, Adolfine… Don't be a bigger grump than me…"

After they ate, Adolfine asked, "Say, Toshiro, can I borrow that memoir box from you?"

"Hmm? You want to look through?"

"That too, but I want to make photocopies for the Reichsarchiv, just as a precaution…"

"Ah, okay, you can have it."

"I'll remind you when we'll be heading out. You can go and take a seat in the living room, I'll do the dishes and give you a tour around the house."

"Okay. Is that the big room with the fireplace opposite this one?"

"Yup."

Toshiro went into the living room. A big, stylish couch was standing right before the fireplace, which wasn't too shabby either. There were a few pieces of furniture in the room, all at least a century old. He saw a gramophone standing lonely on one table, with a stack of records under it. The spectrum of music genres was impressive, from classic music to jazz.

"I see you're eyeing my records, Toshiro." Adolfine said suddenly, making Toshiro startle a bit.

"It's impressive…"

"I like to listen to good music. If I like it, the genre doesn't matter. Come on, I want to give you a quick tour before we leave."

"Yeah, sure, lead on."

Going through the corridor on the ground floor she said, "The bathroom is here, but you know that. The next door to your left is part one of my kingdom." She said and opened the door.

Toshiro looked inside and saw a bright with room without windows with racks full of weights, a training cycle and a bench for weightlifting.

"Impressive… Very impressive… But doesn't it get stuffy inside?"

"That's the point, Toshiro. If the temperature goes up high, then I burn fat faster."

"What fat?" Toshiro said and laughed.

"Ohoho, you coquet you…" She poked him in the side. "Let's go on, shall we?" Adolfine said and closed the door.

At the end of the corridor, she opened another door.

"This is my office at home, Toshiro. As you can see, it looks rather… standard…"

"I agree. It's something between Minna's office in Britannia and the office of our two in Romagna… But it furnished in very good taste."

"I'm glad you like it, Toshiro." Adolfine said with a smile. "The rest of the house… Do you need to see the attic now?"

"Not quite…"

"Good, because it's a dirty mess… The entrance is up the stairs and dead straight to the right if you want to visit it."

"How about the basement?"

"Ah, I can take you there. You'll see something… familiar…"

"Familiar you say… okay, lead me to it…"

The entrance to the basement was beside the bathroom door. Adolfine turned on the lights, and they descended into the wood inlaid basement. He saw the water boiler, insulated thickly all around, and a big stack of firewood beside it.

And then he really saw something familiar.

"I see that you don't want to heat up the basement because of all the wine you yoinked from Romagna, right?"

"Oh, come on… Somebody had to take care of all that wine…" Adolfine answered a tad flustered. "It would only go to waste if the Romagnans laid their grabbers on it…"

"Valid concern… Hmmm… You know, there's one more room I'd like to see…"

"And that would be?"

"Your bedroom."

"W-W-Why?!"

"I want to see how my boss spends one-third of her day." Toshiro answered with a cheeky smile.

"I advise against it…"

"Why? Is your bedroom all pink and has a load of teddy bears around it?"

"No, no… It's just… You'd get a bit jealous… A-A-And it's been sometime since a man entered it..."

"Come on… Don't be a spoilsport…"

"O-Okay…" Adolfine sighed and after she loaded some firewood into the furnace, they went to the second floor.

"Oh? Your bedroom is just beside mine…"

"I didn't really put much thought into that…" She said and opened the door.

If not for the fact that there was not bathtub, the dark wood panels were replaced with white ones, the fact that the queen size bed was replaced with a king size one with a white baldachin, and the balcony door being slightly different, Toshiro would say that it's a carbon copy of his room in Romagna.

"Yeaaaaaaaaah… Now I know who designed my room back then…"

"No hard feeling for giving you such a simple room?"

"I'm only a bit jealous but… You're the boss, I have to know my place, right?"

"If you see it that way, than I'm at peace."

"I noticed that our beds are only separated by the wall. Coincidence?"

"Total coincidence." Adolfine replied without batting an eyelid.

"Hmmm…" Toshiro murmured as he approached the window.

He saw a backyard, and a big shed standing in the corner.

"What's the shed for?"

"Firewood and some tools."

"Okay…" He turned his eyes towards two uniform coats hanging in the front of the closet. "I didn't know they made the coats unisex…"

"Now you know… It's more efficient that way…"

"And I guess ergonomics prevent from making uniforms like that too, right?"

"Y-yeah… Spot on…" Adolfine said while bringing her arms a bit closer to her chest. "Take your coat to your room, and then take a shower. Afterwards, put on your better shoes, we may not be able to return here to get dressed."

"Should I put on something special?"

"Remember about your cap… Hmmm… Take your Knight's Cross, but only that. You don't want to look like a damn Christmas tree…"

"Yeaaah… I would look like one with everything I've got… But you know… Come to my room for a second?"

"Umm, why?"

"Nothing wicked, come on." Toshiro said as he took his coat.

"Well, okay…"

They entered his room, and Toshiro hung his coat just like Adolfine did. He pulled out the memento box out of the chest.

"You want to show me the photos? But Toshiro, we don't have much time…"

"I'll be quick, come closer." Toshiro said and sat on the edge of the bed.

Adolfine in turn simply stood before it. He opened the box and started pulling out items and placing them on the bed in a specific manner.

"Here… The certificate and the Iron Cross of my pa. The photo in the upper right is my newborn father being held by grandma. The photo below it are my father and mother, probably when they first met in Fuso."

"I never knew such a photo even existed…"

"Me neither… But you know why I arranged them like that?"

"Why?"

"I want you to find someone who will frame these in the exact manner you saw."

"Oh… Hmmm… No problem, Toshiro. But give me all of these for now, okay?"

"Yeah, you wanted to make copies…" Toshiro said, packed everything in the box and gave it to Adolfine. "Here."

"I'll be sure to take good care of these."

"You will!"

"Hey, don't forget who's whose boss!" Adolfine said with a smile. "Go and take that shower already!"

"Jawohl!"

Toshiro rushed out with his bath supplies and took a quick shower. This time when he returned, Adolfine wasn't present in the room. He dressed himself, strapped the pistol holster and ammo pouch to his belt and he put on the coat. With his cap in his hand, he exited the room.

Apparently, Adolfine did the same in the same time. They looked at each other and nodded.

"Yes, perfect…" Adolfine said silently.

She carried Toshiro's box and her own cap.

"You have different pants?"

"Fine observer… Yes, I changed my usual leather pants to regulatory Luftwaffe pants, just like yours."

"They make them in a female flavor?"

"Sure, Toshiro. Many non-magical or _post-magical_ women serve in the Luftwaffe as secretaries. Some prefer skirts, some like pants."

"Today I learned… So, are we going?"

"Yes. Go forward and make yourself comfortable in the car."

Toshiro ran down without uttering a word and sat shotgun in the Kübelwagen. He saw as Adolfine closed door to the house and the gate. In a high of good manners, Toshiro opened the door from the driver's side.

"Oh, thanks…" Adolfine mumbled and dumped her belonging on the dashboard.

She started the engine, and they were off.

The drive was rather short, but it's because of the early hour. They drove through one of the entrances onto a cobblestone plaza with a miniature park in the middle and some green stripes on two sides. Encompassing the plaza from three sides was an enormous, blocky building with brown tiles on the roof.

"But Adolfine… That's…"

"An exact copy of the Reichskanzlei. Yes, we started building one just in case in '39."

"You guys really like to blow money on majestic stuff…"

"Well, the Kaiser and the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, or OKW for short if you want, have to keep up to decent standards."

Toshiro stopped before the main entrance, and immediately someone shot out of the building.

"Woah, who's that?"

"Joachim Spitzer, my assistant. You probably bounced off him once or twice while you tried to reach me…"

"I only heard his voice, so…"

"Guten Morgen Frau Generalmajor!" Joachim shouted in attention.

"Yup, that's him…" Toshiro sighed, exited the car and pulled on his cap. "Remember me?"

"Sch… I mean, yes, Herr Oberst!"

"Good, because I remember you. Hey, Adolfine, are you coming?"

"Ah, yes, I just watched you two if you wouldn't start brawling."

"Who do you think I am? Trude?"

Adolfine got out of the car, and Joachim immediately drove it off.

"The parking is in the back." Adolfine explained. "Come on, let's go inside."

They entered the building. The interior was a bit Spartan, but it looked awe inspiring. One would immediately know his place. A reception desk was placed in the junction of three corridors and just before the staircase. Toshiro looked at the receptionist, and she looked back at him, and smiled.

"Toshiro, I believe you two met, right?" Adolfine asked.

"Yes, we met but… I never asked for a name…" Toshiro admitted flustered.

"Feldwebel Helga Hildemeier." The blonde receptionist introduced herself. "It's good to see you again, Herr Oberst."

"Did they transfer you from Sicily?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes, I was an intern so to speak. They sent somebody else in my stead after my internship ended, and thankfully the previous receptionist resigned so… now I'm the gatekeeper, heehee…"

"Helga, we're going to the Kaiser, give word to Inge."

"Will do, Adolfine." Helga said and picked up the phone.

"Inge?" Toshiro asked.

"Stabsfeldwebel Inge Bergman, she's you uncle's _Cerberus_."

Toshiro and Adolfine listened to a series of 'ja's' and 'uhums', and finally Helga laid down the receiver.

"You are cleared to go." She said with a smile.

"Thank you, Helga. Come on, Toshiro, this way." Adolfine said and pointed out to the stairs behind Helga.

They went up the stairs to the second from the top floor. They were saluted by so many people, that Toshiro's arm almost felt sore.

"Adolfine, if I'm going to salute yet another person, my arm will fall off."

"Then don't. You don't need to salute back to everyone. It may be a bit rude, but it's permitted."

"Thanks for saying it just now…"

"No problem." Adolfine smiled and pointed out forward. "You can see the door to the Kaiser's office already. And part of Inge's desk."

Toshiro clearly saw the brown wooden doors, spanning from floor to ceiling and wide enough to move a piano through it. And indeed, on the right side, there was a desk, with a bespectacled, silver haired beauty, about Adolfine's age, sitting behind it.

Seeing Toshiro coming first, she shot up and saluted him. Toshiro forced himself to salute back, since he knew he'd probably see her a few times again. Inge's gaze wandered slightly to the left, as she saw Adolfine.

"At ease, Inge." Adolfine said. "Why are you always so official? We've know each other since… pff… the Hispanic War?"

"Friendship is friendship, but duty is duty." Inge responded. "I can fraternize with you when we're drinking beer." She winked.

Adolfine sighed and said, "You'll never change… Is the Kaiser ready to receive us?"'

"Yes, he is."

"Then come on, Toshiro. Let's go inside."

"Ummm…"

"What, Inge?"

"Could I… get an autograph from the Oberst?" Inge asked shyly, dropping all her defenses.

"What say you, Toshiro? Want to give an autograph to your fan?"

"My fan? Almost never met them… A few in Yokosuka, but nobody beside it… I really have fans?"

"A fuckton!" Inge cheered. "Oh, pardon my language, Herr Oberst, it won't happen again! Um, anyway… I'm number two in the official Edelweiss fan club…"

"I even have a fan club dedicated to me…" Toshiro wondered surprised. "Who's first?"

"The Kaiser, of course."

"Hahahahaha!" Toshiro burst out in laughter. "And if everyone gathered in one place, how long would I have to give out autographs?"

"At a normal rate… From dusk till dawn…"

"Holy shit… Well, let's get one down… Prepare something to write on, and I'll give you a nice autograph when we're finished with uncle, okay?"

"Okay!" Inge cheered.

Toshiro looked at Adolfine with a perplexed look, but she only shrugged.

She approached the door and knocked twice.

"Come in!" A familiar voice shouted.

She opened the door and entered the room, with Toshiro following her.

If his room combined with the office in Pescara were spiffy, than this was Versailles. The amount of gold in the room would probably flood it if a fire broke out.

"Toshiro, my dear nephew!" Franz shouted with his usual jovial voice while moving forward from his desk. "How nice to meet you again!"

He hugged him tightly as a bear and added, "You have my sympathies, Toshiro."

"Well… Thanks…"

"So, how do you like this place so far?"

"The city looks sort of nice, Adolfine has a nice crib, this building is something and your office… Mother of God… I know that you're the damn Kaiser, but…"

"I have to look good before people coming to me, you can't deny that, right?"

"Yeah… Oh, and it's a tad cold outside now."

"We basically have winter here. But in summer, you'd melt away. At least I am…"

"You should cut down on the Eisbeine, Uncle…"

"Oh come on, all skinny rulers were neurotic maniacs! And I'm always happy! Well, maybe not when things go south…"

"Well, if your doctors allow it…"

"What's that box, Adolfine?" Franz asked suddenly.

"Memoirs. Toshiro got them from Mary before she… passed away… I wanted to make photocopies for the Reichsarchiv."

"Hmmm… May I see?" Franz asked Toshiro.

"Sure, sure! Both of you should see it!" Toshiro cheered and looked around. "Can we sit on that horribly expensive looking sofa?"

"That's what a sofa is for, Toshiro."

Toshiro sat in the middle, and after receiving the box from Adolfine he pulled out the first photo.

"This is a photo of grandma and… step-grandpa? I believe I should call him that…"

"Hmmm… Your grandma looked like a hottie, Toshiro." Franz said. "No wonder my father fell for her…"

Adolfine could only sigh with a resigned face, but her eyes sparkled once Toshiro picked out the next pic.

"Oh! Who's that cute little guy?!" She shouted.

"That, I believe, is my father, age unknown but probably under a year."

"Daaaaaw, how cuuuute!"

"Adolfine has a thing for babies, you can probably guess why…" Franz whispered.

"Probably…" Toshiro whispered back.

They went through a few photos of his father in various stages of his youth, and they got to the graduation photo.

"Ah yeeeees… University of Posnania, Theoretical Mathematics, class of '08… I still remember most of our classmates… Fritz, Eberhardt, Leo, Brunhilde, Elza, Johanna, Ignatz, Michael..." Franz pointed out all the people on the photo. "… and of course – Lucas. Those were good days…"

"My, my, I'm learning something about my Kaiser that I won't out of history books…" Adolfine said and giggled.

"At least not those published during my life." Franz retorted.

Toshiro pulled out the photo of his father in a military uniform. Adolfine looked at the photo, then at Toshiro and back at the photo again.

"You know, you surely follow after your father…" She said.

"Except for the fact that he had a moustache like Uncle here, and I'm absolutely devoid of facial hair, thank you mom…"

"Nah, don't blame your mother for that Fuso blood of yours. You'd look awful with a beard or with a stache." Adolfine replied honestly.

"Whatever… Now a photo that stunned me a bit…" Toshiro said and pulled out the photo of Lucas and Akiko together.

"Hmmm… I never thought such a photo existed…" The Kaiser murmured.

"Me neither…" Adolfine followed. "They look happy together…"

"Yeaaah…" Toshiro sighed deeply. "Imagine this would be a perfectly normal sight for me… Well, at least I have you two and Yoshika…"

"Oh… Toshiro um… You're treating me like part of your family?" Adolfine asked totally flustered.

"Didn't I always?" Toshiro asked. "You're really like a good aunt to me, despite you always shouting not to call you that, always caring for me from the shadows. I wonder how many times you've orchestrated some supplies or help for me without me even suspecting you of doing anything…"

"Many times!" Franz laughed and slammed him a few times on the back heartily. "Besides being my advisor, she's working diligently in the Wirtschafts und Rüstungsamt, so she reaaaaally has all the power to pull EVERYTHING off."

"So if Adolfine demands, it gets supplied?" Toshiro asked with a smirk?

"Ohohohohoh! Yes, exactly!" Franz laughed, shaking like jelly.

"I think we had other issues to discuss…" Adolfine mumbled with a red face.

"Ah, yes… There are a few indeed… Toshiro, about the funeral today… Do you want only us three and a few other handpicked guests or should we go all out?"

"First option. I know that some kind of flashy state funeral would be nice but it would be blowing things out of proportions…"

"Just as I thought… Can Adolf take some photos during the event?"

"Why are you asking me, Uncle? You're the boss…"

"I'm just taking heed of your feelings, Toshiro…"

"Okay. But only him."

"Sure. Mary, for all I know was a Catholic. Will you be attending the service?"

"From all I know, I won't be smitten just for entering a church and hearing a sermon. So yes, I will."

"I just thought that your goddess might be jealous…"

"She isn't, really. She's a really open minded goddess, heh… I can even have a Catholic wedding with Yoshika if I wish so…"

"Good that you've told me that… I'll keep that in mind…" Franz said. "Do you want another place to live?"

"Nah, Adolfine's home is cozy and nice. I'll gladly fill it with my being."

"Then I have no more questions. Go and follow Adolfine around the building, help her with some paperwork maybe… Meeting adjourned, so to speak."

"Let's go, Toshiro. I'll take you to my office. My desk is probably a wall of papers now…"

"Bye, Uncle."

"Bye, Toshiro. I hope we'll get to see each other a few more times."

"Huh? Could it be a problem?"

"It could, I'm a busy Kaiser after all. Despite being your only blood related relative, I can't devote all my time to you. I hope you understand…"

"Yes, yes, I understand… Bye then!"

Adolfine saluted and they both went out, and were immediately assaulted by Inge. She had a big format picture and a Magic Marker with her.

"Please, Oberst, your autograph!"

Toshiro took the marker and the picture. He looked at it, and recognized a frame from the movie he starred in. He shrugged and gave a flashy autograph. Inge plucked the photo out of his hands and started prancing around like a preschooler.

"Seriously…" Toshiro sighed.

"Come on, she's on cloud nine right now…"

* * *

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	9. Chapter 9 - In Memoriam

Chapter 9 - In Memoriam

After walking down to the second floor, they ended up before a nice and sturdy wooden door.

"Generalmajor Adolfine Galland, Wirtschafts und Rüstungsamt, Senior Leiter." Was what Toshiro read off the plaque on the door. "You're really a big fish, Adolfine…"

"There are bigger fish than me, but I'm the biggest in my division, heheh… Come in." She said and entered.

Toshiro saw a well-furnished office with a big desk before the windows, and a smaller one on the side. There were filing cabinets and stacks of papers everywhere.

They weren't alone in the room.

"Wilkommen!" Joachim stood in attention and shouted.

"Shut up already… What's on the agenda?"

"The stack of papers on your desk, Frau Generalmajor!"

"Okay. Now scram, I need your desk."

"Jawohl!" He shouted and ran out of the room.

"You really have a thing for commanding people…"

"I have to, Toshiro. I'm the first woman ever to be ranked so high, I have to set an example with myself."

"True… But looking at all these stacks of papers doesn't look… example setting…"

"Creative disorder… More filing cabinets would just cramp the room, and I know where stuff is anyway."

"And I kept such order in Romagna that you could use a ruler to measure it…"

"Yes, so I've heard from Minna and Gertrud. And the post-service inspection of the base went really smooth thanks to the ordnung in the papers. Speaking of inspections – sit down in Joachim's place, and help me."

"What should I do?"

"Take the stack of papers from my desk, and check the supply requisitions for any odd requests."

"Odd?"

"Contraband, weird stuff… Or check if they aren't requesting too much stuff."

"I suppose I can do that… But you'll double check this, right? I don't want to screw up a supply drop for some unit…"

"Of course I will, Toshiro. Now, on to work!"

Toshiro took the stack of papers and sat down at the desk. He started to sort through the order forms under the watchful eyes of Adolfine, and then, he found something interesting.

"Hmmm…"

"What is it?"

"The Vierte Fliegergruppe of the NJG 1 ordered 1000 barrels of naphtha…"

"How much?! That surely is a mistake… Wait, the 4th Flying Corps? Heh… You know, you can clear this one personally…"

"Yeah? I should call them?"

"Yes." Adolfine replied with a sly smile.

"Well, okay…" Toshiro picked up the receiver and said, "Operator? Vierte Fliegergruppe of the NJG 1 please."

"Understood, please wait."

After a few clacks and rings, a cold voice responded.

"Major Heidemarie Schnaufer."

"Did I reach the Vierte Fliegergruppe of the NJG 1?"

"Yes, please identify yourself and state your business."

"Colonel Toshiro Edelweiss, calling from the Wirtschafts und Rüstungsamt."

"Oh… Oh my… The Hero of Karlsland…" Heidemarie was audibly flustered. "Um, what do I owe the honor?"

"I was reviewing some orders for my boss, and I stumbled upon your latest order… I'm perplexed by the amount of naphtha barrels you ordered…"

"Why? We only ordered ten… Is that too much to deliver?"

"Ten would be indeed a reasonable amount, but I have one THOUSAND on my form…"

"One thousand? Mein Gott… That is surely an error… The correct amount is ten, Herr Oberst… I'm sorry I had to bother you…"

"That's why I'm calling – to correct the error. Don't worry, there will be no consequences."

"I'm s… Oh, wait a second… I think there's somebody that wants to have a conversation with you…"

"Huh?"

"I'm putting her on the phone right now. Good day to you, Herr Oberst…" Heidemarie said and soon another, very familiar voice replaced her. "Toshiro, is that really you?"

"Minna! You're in the NJG1 now?"

"Not quite exactly. We're an independent fighter squadron – Erica, Trude and I. But we have to have some base somewhere, so we're here in SInt-Truiden."

"Aaaah, right, I gave you the orders myself, heheh…"

"And where are you now, and why are you pestering Heidemarie, huh?"

"I'm in Neue Karlsland, sitting in Adolfine's office, going through supply requisition forms under her watchful eye."

"Huh? Why are you there?"

Toshiro sighed and said, "One thing would be that my grandmother suddenly got very ill, and… well, she died yesterday… I have a funeral at 1600 local time."

"Oh… You have my sympathies, Toshiro…"

"Thanks. The other issue is that I need to undergo officer's training, since I never had one in the first place."

"You didn't? Ah, you really didn't…"

"The next thing would be the development of my new equipment. Ursula has to customize the new prototype gear towards me."

"I see, that's really something that needs your presence…"

"And how are you and the rest?"

"Fine, I suppose. We're protecting the town of Sint-Truiden and a whole lot of Belgica. It's really nice here, despite the fact we have combat engagements almost daily…"

"Well, have fun you lot, I have to end this conversation, because Adolfine is already staring a hole in me."

"Hahaha, yes, yes… Have a good day, Toshiro."

"You too, Minna."

Toshiro hooked the receiver.

"You did that on purpose…" He said.

"Nothing I do doesn't have a purpose, Toshiro." Adolfine said with a smile. "Now, don't dilly-dally and get on with the rest."

It went on and on and in an hour, Toshiro finished.

"Finished." He mumbled.

"Oh? Gimme, I want to double check."

"What will I do now?"

"You can place your legs on the desk and not give a fuck about anything. It will take me some time."

Toshiro did what he was told, and after another hour, Adolfine said, "Good, everything's A-Okay."

"So, now what?"

"Now, we wait for phone requisitions and rabble calling me."

"And let me guess, I'll be your slave for the time being?"

"Yup. But don't worry, from tomorrow you'll be on your officer's course, so you'll be busy from 0800 to 1800."

"That long?! I hope I'll have breaks…"

"You will. And coincidentally, I'm working up until 1800, so I'll give you a ride back home."

"How damn considerate of you…"

"Heheh… Don't be so cynical, Toshiro. You want to retain your rank, right? For the money if from lack of other stuff."

"Yeah, I guess money would be a good reason to keep my rank… I'm engaged, maybe I'll get married soon… I need the money to build a house, plant a tree and… well, I don't need money to have a son, heheh… But I definitely need some to raise one… Oh, and how it would look if the Hero of Karlsland was suddenly demoted for such a petty issue, right? I have to keep up some standards it seems, especially for people like Inge…"

"See? Sitting on your ass for ten hours a day for about two weeks doesn't seem so bad after all, does it?"

"It doesn't…" Toshiro sighed.

Time flew by, with Toshiro answering calls, slowly getting used to this. At around 1430, Adolfine said, "Okay, Toshiro. Time to go to the mess hall, they're starting to give out dinner."

"I could use some sustenance…"

Toshiro said and the rumbling of his empty stomach underlined his utterance perfectly.

"A man's body is always honest to itself, heehee… Come on, let's go."

They ventured downwards to the first floor and to the west wing. Toshiro already knew that they were getting close, because the amount of people in the corridors increased substantially, not to mention the glorious fragrances attacking his nose.

"Aaah, its Monday…" Adolfine said after taking a whiff. "You're in for a very good and filling dinner, Toshiro."

"If it's at least half as good as it smells, then I'm in!"

They entered an enormous room, the size of a ball room. Robust metal tables and chairs were nicely put into long rows along the whole room. The counter that had a connection to the kitchen already had a line at least thirty meters long.

"Ah, damn… We got here too late…" Adolfine mumbled. "But let's go, the line will only get longer if we wait."

"How long will we keep standing do you think?"

"If it take more than half an hour, then we might as well go eat an enchilada out town."

"Then let's see…"

The approached the end of the line, being saluted from front till back. Suddenly, a ray of hope shined.

"Ohh, Herr Oberst!" Inge cheered and waved her hand towards him from the front of the line.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Could I be of any help?"

"If you can take three dinners on your hands, then that's what I would wish."

"Verstanden!" She shouted. "Consider it done, Herr Oberst!"

"Come on, Toshiro, let's take a seat then. If Inge set's herself a goal, then it's already fulfilled."

"Will she really manage to bring us dinner and one for herself?"

"If you saw the stacks of papers and ledgers she normally carries, you'd be wondering whether or not she's from a circus family…"

They sat at one of the free tables, both opposite to each other.

"Why not sit beside me, Adolfine?"

"I want to give Inge a thank you for her… sacrifice."

"So you want to allow her to sit beside me, huh?"

"Precisely."

"And girls still have delusions I could be their man, although it was clearly announced Yoshika and I are engaged…"

"Girls always have fantasies towards movie stars, Toshiro. Married? Doesn't matter as long as he looks like a god!"

"I suppose… Any experiences?" Toshiro asked with a wry smile.

"H-Humphrey Bogart …" Adolfine answered.

"Oooooh… The mature man, huh?"

"And you liked Anabuki…" Adolfine pouted.

"Perfectly normal. She was still in her teens when she starred in that movie of hers."

"Yeah, that misfired… You'd better look behind you."

Toshiro looked around, and saw Inge balancing three big platters. On each one, there was a bowl of soup with a slice of bread swimming in it, a plate with Schnitzel, Sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, and also a glass of something red.

"Holy shit…"

"Told you."

Inge approached their table, and placed on platter before Adolfine, then before Toshiro. She blushed slightly and asked, "M-may I sit beside you, Herr Oberst?"

"Sure." Toshiro said and pointed out the spot beside him.

"Oh, thanks!" She cheered and sat down.

Toshiro looked at the soup and asked, "Is this the famous Zwiebelsuppe?"

"Yes. Never had one?"

"Nope. My good Karlslander friends didn't make one. Ever."

"What a shame… But dig in, or it will get cold, not to mention the second course."

"Gutten Appetit then!"

The two responded with the same and they started eating.

A slight burp escaped Toshiro's mouth after he finished.

"Now I know why you're working out, Adolfine… Eating so much delicious food every day and not sortieing would surely up your size a bit…"

"Right? Our kitchen is really spoiling us…" Adolfine responded. "How was it?"

"Probably the best soup I ate, after Yoshika's of course."

"Then eat the rest, so you'll have a full scope."

The three of them ate their Schnitzel with side dishes.

"I'm so full…" Toshiro moaned, leaning back on his chair. "Is it always so rich on Mondays?"

"Yes. Since most people hate Mondays, the OKW tries to satisfy us with such feasts on that day. Does it work?"

"Pretty much… I can't say a bad word about the dishes… How about you, Stabsfeldwebel?" He turned towards Inge.

"O-oh… Well… I'm already accustomed to these dishes so… they're mundane to me now… But I too can't say a bad word about the food…"

"So now that we all ate… Back to work." Adolfine said.

"Agaaaaaain?" Toshiro moaned. "Shouldn't we be… you know… going already or something?"

Adolfine pulled back the sleeve on her left hand and looked at her watch.

"Hmmm… Taking the afternoon high in traffic in account, the fact that we shouldn't get to the service at last minute… Yes, let's go."

"Oh, where are you going?" Inge asked.

"Oh, right, we didn't want to propagate the news unnecessarily…" Adolfine said silently. "We're going to Toshiro's grandmother's funeral…"

"Oh, I... uh…"

"I have your sympathies, right?" Toshiro asked with a smile.

Inge nodded.

"Can I call you Inge?"

Inge nodded so hard her head chin almost bruised her chest.

"You don't have to worry about me, Inge, I'll be fine. I have Adolfine, uncle… Yoshika is on a trip to Europe, but I could probably call her anytime… It's not like I'm alone in this world… Come on, Adolfine."

"Hey, hey – that's my line!"

"Of course it is, hahaha!"

The two went on to the reception desk, and they saw two people waiting for them – a photographer with his trademark toothbrush moustache in a trench coat, and a blonde witch with glasses – also clad in a trench coat.

"Eri…" Toshiro tried saying the obvious name in this situation but he looked closer. "Ursula? You're here?"

"Good day, Toshiro. I appeared because the Generalmajor behind you requested so. And it's not that I was forced… You have my condolences, Toshiro…"

"Uh, thanks… But you really didn't have to come…"

"But I did. You're my sister's ersatz brother, why shouldn't I come?"

"Heh, well, you have a point…"

"So you're an Oberst now, huh?" Adolf asked suddenly in his gloomy way. "And there you were, almost a straight year ago, only a simple Oberfeldwebel, basically unknown to the world… Guh, how the world changes around me so fast…"

"Hohoho, I see everyone is assembled?" The Kaiser's voice suddenly sounded from the stairs.

Ursula saluted immediately, but the Kaiser waved his hand and she stood down.

"Let's go everyone. Toshiro, you'll be riding with me." Franz said. "The rest of you coup up in one car."

They exited the building. Two cars were waiting for them. One was a black Mercedes-Benz 770 with Josef, the driver Adolfine had in Britannia, and the other one was Adolfine's Kübelwagen, with Joachim standing beside it.

"We are riding my limo, Toshiro." Franz said. "You first."

"Oh, come on, uncle… You're the head honcho here…"

"If you insist…"

The Kaiser approached the car and Josef opened the door, bowing a bit while doing it. Toshiro entered the luxurious cabriolet with the roof now unfolded and the door was closed.

He saw on the side of his field of vision that the rest also cooped up the Kübelwagen.

Josef sat inside and turned the ignition. He put in first gear and slowly drove away.

"Where are we going exactly?" Toshiro asked.

"La Recoleta Cemetery. It's the best this city can offer. It's built around a church and the convent of the Order of the Recoletos."

"At least she'll get some honors after death… So she'll be lying amongst the rich and famous?"

"Yes, Toshiro."

"How nice…"

After a rather brief ride, they stopped before the gates of the cemetery.

"Expectamus Dominum…" Toshiro read aloud the sign over the gate. "We wait for the Lord… Fitting…"

As everyone assembled, they went on through the gates. The cemetery was different from Toshiro's expectations, because instead of normal tombstones, he was surrounded by vaults and mausoleums.

"So this is how you bury your dead in Latin Liberion?" Toshiro asked.

"This is how the rich do it." Adolfine explained. "The poor have their own cemeteries."

They entered the church, where the coffin with the earthly remains of Mary Edelweiss was standing on the catafalque. The ceremony began when the priest arrived.

After all the rituals in the church, and before the coffin was closed, Toshiro kissed his grandmother for the first and last time, gently, on the cheek.

Then, along with three pallbearers, he moved the now closed casket to the mausoleum she was to be buried in, followed by a small procession.

The casket was placed in a recession in the wall of the mausoleum, and after performing the last rites, it was closed off. Toshiro was given the keys to the mausoleum by the priest. He locked the door personally.

The priest and his helpers left them. Toshiro sighed deeply.

"It was a bit more depressing than I thought... Can I go home now?" Toshiro asked.

"Of course." Franz said with a soft voice. "But Adolfine still has work to do, so you'll have to make yourself comfortable."

Adolfine threw him a bunch of keys and said, "If you'd heat up the house and make supper, I would be glad. I could return around 2000, so I'll give you a ring."

"It's the least I can do…"

"And you can use my training room if you want."

"I probably will…" Toshiro replied and looked at Ursula. "Hmmm… I think I was supposed to say something to you…"

"Hum?"

"Ah! You have greetings from Tomoko."

"Oh, how nice, heehee… I always liked Tomoko, despite her weird BDSM fetishes…"

"Ursula, please, you're in a cemetery…" Adolfine grumbled.

"Oh, sorry… And Toshiro, I have news for you regarding your equipment."

"What is it?"

"By the time you'll end you're officer's course, I should have the new cannons ready, at least one of them, but the Striker still needs a bit of finetuning. But Helma is doing what she can while test flying the prototype."

"Did you just use the plural form of cannon right now?"

"Heehee, yeeeees…" Ursula smiled innocently. "You'll see, it will be a blast, heh…"

"I can't wait… Okay, who am I riding home with?"

"With me of course, hohoho!" Franz laughed and slammed Toshiro on the back.

"Heh… Yeah…"

They exited the cemetery, Toshiro first. When he passed through the gate, something bumped into him. Toshiro looked to his left, and saw a boy in a grey jacket and with a cap on his head. The cap had a coat of arms, with red-blue vertical stripes and the letters 'CASLDEA' written in blue on a white circle.

"Hey, watch out kid." Adolfine reprimanded the child.

The boy looked at them from the ground with big eyes.

"What, never saw the Hero of Karlsland with his uncle before?" Toshiro asked with a smirk on his face.

The boy shook his head.

"Come on, stand up, or you'll catch a cold…" He said and extended his hand to the boy. "Who are you anyway?"

"Jorge Mario Bergoglo…" The boy said silently.

"Are you Romagnan?"

"My father is…"

"What's that coat of arms on your cap?"

"That? That's the coat of arms of the Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro!" The boy said proudly.

"Ah, is that a soccer team?"

The boy nodded.

"Then go on, little soccer fan."

"Okay!" The boy cheered and ran away.

_"__Heeheeheehee…"_

_"__Why are you giggling, Yuki?"_

_"__I just got some info from Amaterasu concerning that kid…"_

_"__And?"_

_"__Can't tell."_

_"__Oh come on…"_

_"__I really can't… But know this – you really don't know who you've met… And don't worry, twas' not some mass murderer, rest assured."_

_"__Okay, whatever…"_

Toshiro stood at the gate of Adolfine's house, with the keys in his hands. The rest was slowly driving off behind his back. He opened the gate, walked up to the house door, opened that one and entered the house.

_Cold already…_

He proceeded down to the basement. He made a fire under the boiler, and loaded enough firewood to burn for at least an hour. Then he went up and changed his clothes, and walked down to the training room. He worked out for an hour, and took a shower.

Afterwards, he just put on a record and sat in the couch. Just after it finished playing, he heard the phone ringing. He ran to it and picked it up.

"Toshiro, I'm coming home, start making some supper."

"Any preferences?"

"Just plain sandwiches will do… But you could heat them up, it's so damn cold outside…"'

"Sure thing."

Toshiro prepared the sandwiches, and using his powers he heated them up to the point they slightly crisped. He heard the door opening, and after a few seconds, Adolfine came in, still in her coat.

"Oh get dressed… I'm not letting you eat in that…" Toshiro said.

Adolfine quickly ran up, and after a few minutes, Toshiro saw her in casual clothes for the first time. She had a plain, gray sweater on, and no pants on. The sweater was rather long, so Toshiro couldn't see if she had something covering her bottom.

"Hmmmm… I like." Toshiro said.

"Do you?" She asked with a slight blush.

"Yeah, sure. You look so cute that I should eat a lemon to get a bit sour…"

"Oh you… Ah, sandwiches!" Adolfine grabbed one and took a bite. "Mhhhmmmm… Cwishpy!"

Toshiro also started eating. After the plate with the sandwiches was empty, Toshiro said, "Well, I think I'll turn in for the day. Busy day tomorrow and stuff…"

"Okay, sleep tight."

"Thanks, you too."

Toshiro went to his bed, undressed and hid under the blanket. But after only a few minutes, the door to his room creaked. Toshiro waited.

Adolfine approached him, threw off the blanket from him and sat on his waist.

"Oh look, Adolfine came to me. What do you want?"

She pulled out a piece of paper out of her sleeve, and ripped it apart.

"Pass redeemed, Toshiro…" She said silently and took off the sweater.

As he somehow felt, she was totally naked. Her chiseled body reflected the faint light of the moon.

"Any preferences on how I should do it?" Toshiro asked.

"Let me be on top for first… And you don't need to worry about 'jumping ship', I'm safe today…" Adolfine lowered herself and their lips met.

* * *

**Cut content (hue) available on usual terms ;)****  
**

**The 1000 barrels of naphtha is a reference to the "Concerned" webcomic, which I wholeheartedly endorse.**

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	10. Chapter 10 – It goes on and on

Chapter 10 – It goes on and on

Toshiro woke up seeing the ceiling of his new but temporary room, located in Adolfine's house, somewhere in Buenos Aires. At first, he felt her, stretching out beside him like a cat while firmly grasping his chest.

He looked to his side, and he saw her. Adolfine was lying under the blanket, but only half covered, with her shapely breasts poking him in the eyes.

"Don't look there… Look me in the eyes…" Adolfine pouted silently.

"Oh, okaaaaay…" Toshiro shifted his gaze into her blue eyes, from which every speck of hostility or distrust disappeared. "How's this?"

"Mmmmmhhhhmmm... Perfect…" Adolfine purred.

"Glad that you did it?"

"Yes. I finally had a man after two years… And it was something terrific…"

"So, now that we broke a boundary… Tell me – why do you hate being called Adi?"

Adolfine sighed and said, "I hoped you won't ask in such a way but…We really did cross a boundary… But I have a condition."

"Which is?"

"Hold me…"

"If that's enough to make you talk… Come on…"

Adolfine scuttled towards Toshiro and embraced him.

"It all started in '43… Let's say that my maternal instincts ran crazy at the time… And then I met a man. His name was Moritz. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and a square jaw – typical Karlslander hunk. But he was also intelligent as hell. He worked in the OKW as I did, in a different department… Word by word, sentence by sentence, we got closer… And then, one day, he claimed my virginity… Skipping forward a bit, we were a really happy couple of lovers. He had the keys to my house, we lived together… And he always called me Adi. At breakfast it was "Adi, pass me the salt." At work it was "Adi, let's go eat." In the Bedroom it was "Adi... Adi... Adi..."

"And then…"

"One day, I returned home, way earlier than usual. I wanted to surprise him. But I saw the shoes of another woman in the anteroom. I sneaked up the stairs. I heard moans of ecstasy from my bedroom. I furiously opened the door, probably startling every cat in the neighborhood."

"I caught him red handed…" Adolfine's eyes started glittering from the tears that started flowing. "He was fucking some floosy… The only thing that kept me from killing them both on the spot, was my reputation as the first Witch General… I didn't even say a word, but I felt that I put on a face that would make a Gorgon whimper in fear… They evacuated the room faster than I could count to ten to try to calm down… I saw Moritz throwing the keys to my home on the stairs… I just fell on the floor, curled up in a fetal position and cried till the morning… Good that it was Friday… I spent the whole Saturday moping… But on Sunday, my rage exploded. But it didn't explode in a normal way, oh no. I had a pair of dumbbells, which I got for birthday. I started training with them until I almost ripped my tendons… My arms were sore, but it felt so good... So good… After the weight was not enough, I started buying more weights… And I started doing other exercises… It relaxed me. It helped diverting my mind from that bastard that cheated on me… And the result…" Adolfine uncovered herself without an ounce of shame. "…is this body. This is the testament to my sorrow after being backstabbed. But you Toshiro… You gave me some hope… That maybe one day, I'll find a better man…"

"It's incredible how much we have in common…"

"Huh?"

"After my dad died, I also started training to keep my mind off him, to somehow calm the squalls in my heart… The whole mountains and fields around Yokosuka were my gym… And this…" Toshiro uncovered himself just like Adolfine did. "…this is mostly the result of that."

"My, my… Maybe I should finish Psychology and write my BA about "Therapeutic uses of physical exercises?""

"Heh, why not… I would gladly be your test subject. But… Yoshika won't allow that I believe. Our score is now even, so unless she makes a first move, we have to remain friends till the end. Closely knit friends, but only friends…" Toshiro sighed.

Suddenly, Adolfine kissed him on the cheek.

"This one night was enough, Toshiro. But if Yoshika would allow it, I'm always free to your… disposal… Until I get my own boyfriend that is!"

"Of course, hahahaha! Say… Want breakfast to bed?"

"N-no, thanks… I'll do breakfast as usual… But first, you know… Workout…"

"Can I go with you?"

"Sure you can! I've never done it with someone else!"

"By the way… Something just popped into my mind…"

"Hmm?"

"Since the time Moritz cheated on you, didn't you…" Toshiro formed his middle finger and index finger into a pistol shape and moved forward and backward in an underhand motion.

Adolfine's cheeks blushed and she mumbled, "No… Not once… I somehow… Diverted all my attention to work out and work…"

"You should try it… I heard rumors that some the girls from the 501st are successful with it…"

"Thanks for the tip…" Adolfine mumbled with burning cheeks and stood up, stark naked.

"Adolfine, are you teasing me on purpose?"

"Oh, sorry… Could you throw me that sweater?"

"Yeah…" Toshiro turned around, picked up the sweater and threw it behind him without looking.

"Okay, done, you can look."

Toshiro turned back and saw Adolfine in the bit too long sweater, standing before him on the bed.

"I still see you naked…"

"Oh stop, you perv… We had sex, sure, but I'm STILL the boss!"

"Are you perhaps implying I could be the boss?"

"No… No… You getting a promotion to a Generalleutnant? Not now…"

"But someday I might, right?"

"I can't tell anything…"

"That means something is afoot…"

"I can tell you one thing, but for the love of God don't tell anyone anything!"

"Okay."

"There's a chance we'll be on equal footing soon. But the Military Council still has doubts."

"So me… A Generalmajor?!"

"Quite possible, Toshiro… They were really impressed by how you managed the 501st while in Romagna. Your expenses were both wise and to the point. You didn't throw out money on bullshit. The girls had so many victories under your supervision. That all profited… Your promotion is on a needle tip, Toshiro."

"Hmmm… I have the perfect way to tip it over to my favor…"

Adolfine looked at him carefully.

"Do you really want to pull that through?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll silently forward your plan to the higher ups. Of course you can't undertake anything until you get newer equipment."

"Sure thing."

"How many hives do you intend to destroy?"

"At first only one – the one that will be the closest to Neue Karlsland."

"One's just at the border with Amazonia, so okay, that will be your target. If you succeed, then I'm sure you'll have your red epaulets and golden cords on them soon, haha! Oooooooooh!" Adolfine gasped. "That would make you the first wizard General in history! And it would be a Karlslander! Ah, I have to use that as leverage!"

"Don't push your luck, Adi, I don't need that promotion so badly…"

"Hrrrrrrrrrgggrr…" Adolfine grinded her teeth. "Don't call me Adi…"

"Oh shut up, woman. I'll call you Adi when I want and wherever I want. Moritz is a thing of the past. Now, every time I call you Adi, you will recollect on yesternight."

"Jesus, Toshiro… Don't be so cranky all of a sudden…"

"Adi."

"Stop."

"Aaaadi…"

"Oh stoooop…"

"Just think about the last night… Adi…"

"Stooop!"

"Think, how good it was… Hear your mind recalling it… Adi…"

"Ssss…. Aaaaah…" Adolfine fell on her knees while moaning. "Just remembering it is so good…"

"Then how is it, Adi?"

"Okay… I'm okay… It worked…"

"Adi."

No reaction.

"Aaaaadileeeein…"

Adolfine only smiled.

"Holy shit, it really worked. You have willpower harder than Yoshika's shields!"

"Heehee… But please, call me like that only when we're alone, okay?"

"Sure, sure… People probably still remember, right?"

"Yeah…"

"By the way, what happened to that Moritz guy?"

"The next day, he voluntarily transferred to the polar station in Antarctica."

"Hahahahahahaha!" Toshiro laughed and tumbled on the bed.

Adolfine also started laughing like mad, falling off the bed. She peeked over the bed and said, "Oh, Toshiro… I just realized the comedic value of that situation… Really, thanks for everything…"

"I aim to please, Adi."

"Heehee… I like it when you call me that… I feel tingly…" She said with an alluring voice while slowly raising her sweater.

"Oh no no, don't you even try anything with Toshiro!" Yuki protested suddenly. "The pass is only valid for ONE shag, sleeping through the night and maybe some cuddling in the morning, but you CAN'T have another go!"

Adolfine, a bit surprised, raised her hands and said, "Okay, okay, I give up."

"Good… I personally would allow since you're a neat woman but… you know, Yoshika is engaged with this dunce and shit…"

"Heheh, yes, I understand. Just doing it once with him was a bit over the boundary if you ask me…"

"I'm glad we're on the same wavelength, Adi."

"Hey, only Toshiro has permission to call me that, you old snake!"

"Haha, okay, Adolfine. Till next time!"

"Yeah…"

"Now, that was unexpected…" Toshiro said. "Good ol' Yuki keeping my relationships straight… So, I'll go start a fire under the boiler, and you can already start working out."

"Works for me." Adolfine replied.

"And get dressed…" Toshiro sighed.

"Pot, meet kettle." She replied while looking down Toshiro's loins.

"Out of my room already, damn it!"

"Hahaha!" Adolfine laughed and scooted outside.

Toshiro dressed himself in his short IFN uniform and walked out of the room. And yet again, Adolfine finished at the same time. She was wearing a simple black sports bra and training shorts.

"Using your old uniform as training clothes? That's… unusual…"

"Better than cutting them up for rags, right?"

"I suppose… Okay, go down and heat this house up, it's a bit brisk…" She said while rubbing her hands over her arms.

Toshiro quickly ran down to the basement and lit a fire. He stuffed firewood to the brim, and walked out. He could already hear the clang of weight being moved around in the gym. He entered the training room, and saw Adolfine lifting a barbell on a bench. Toshiro walked around her, picked up the biggest dumbbells he could find and also started lifting.

"You would probably lift the barbell I have with one hand now, right?" Adolfine asked.

"How much?"

"Hundred and fifty."

"Maybe I could… Just before my arm would rip off, heh…"

"You're underestimating yourself, Toshiro…"

"I meant without magic… With magic, I could probably lift every weight in this room, you and do a handstand on my pinkie."

"Ah, you just made a differentiation between the 'physical' you and the 'magical' you, I understand now."

"Yup. I'm proud of my body but I'm also proud of my magic capabilities. Let's not waste our breaths on idle chatter, Adi."

"Yeah. Our lungs aren't muscles after all, haha!"

"Technically they somewhat are but… You're the boss, heheh…"

After an hour, they wandered before the bathroom door. The both grabbed the door handle at the same time. They looked at each other abashed, but Adolfine made a sly smile and said, "Toshiro, you were brought up in a culture that had mixed bathing as something normal, right?"

"Riiiight…"

"And the girls in the 501st didn't exactly mind, right?"

"Not exactly… Some were a bit reluctant in my vicinity but…"

"Okay then, I'll take the tub, you can take the shower."

"Fine by me!"

"Haha, I knew you'd accept!"

They entered the bathroom. Adolfine switched the lights on and then she ran the water. They looked at each other.

"So… Who's undressing first?" She asked.

"Still a bit reluctant, huh?"

"Sort of… I mean, yeah, we screwed less than ten hours ago, no bars held but…"

"Wait until the water runs, then tell me to turn around, you'll undress and enter the bath. Then I'll undress with my back towards you, and I'll take a shower in the same position."

"Fair enough…"

After a few minutes, Toshiro was under the shower, and Adolfine was soaking in the tub.

"I love bathing… It relaxes me…" She said in a dreamy voice. "Toshiro…?"

"What?"

"Could you wash my hair?"

"Oh, but I'll have to watch your naked body then?"

"I don't care… Just do it."

"Okay then…"

Toshiro turned off the shower and fetched a shampoo bottle. Adolfine sat in the tub, looking at him with glad eyes.

"Come on, tilt your head back…"

Toshiro started washing her long black hair. Since he also had long hair, the experience paid off. After rinsing, Adolfine said, "You have some experience, Toshiro… That hair of yours must be a bitch to wash…"

"And it's white, so I have to wash it super thoroughly… I just wanted to do it, when you came up with your proposal…"

"Then let me return the favor, okay? Just wet your hair and let's go."

With a sly smile, Toshiro just dunked his head between Adolfine's legs. When he raised his head, he was slammed in the back of it.

"Damn you, not so fast and not there!"

"Heheheh, sorry, I had to…"

"Jesus… Turn around and let's get this over with…"

After the whole ordeal, they went to change clothes. Toshiro pulled on his usual uniform, and Adolfine had her usual dark blue shirt, temporarily without her pilot jacket, and black leather pants, this time without the funky holes instead of pockets.

"I see that you also have winter pants…"

"Just a slight modification."

"Why did you actually cut those holes in your pants?"'

"For a better feeling of airspeed and other things…"

"Not everyone can have a FFG…"

"Precisely. Let's make ourselves some breakfast, and drive off to work."

After breakfast and dressing up to leave, Toshiro asked, "Hey, Adi, why don't I drive today?"

"I don't know…"

"Oh come on, I haven't driven anything since Romagna…"

"That's why I'm worried."

"Ugh… Fine…" Toshiro pouted with a disappointed look on his face.

Adolfine looked at him with a tense face for a few seconds, but she gave in and shoved the car key into his hand.

"Just don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"Me? Stupid? Pleeeaaaaase…"

"I have a feeling I'm already regretting this…" Adolfine sighed. "Go and run the engine so the interior heats up a bit."

"On it."

Toshiro ran to the car and started the engine. He saw Adolfine slowly locking down her castle and the gate leading to it. She entered the car and said, "Onwards, Toshiro… I hope we'll get there in one piece."

"Trust me…"

* * *

"…ah, well, we only lost a wheel…"

"For fucks sake…"

"Hey, I really didn't see that rusty nail, just before the curb of the sidewalk before the HQ building… It could have been anyone… And your assistant can finally do some manly work, not something a gal after high school could do…"

"You owe me for a wheel anyway."

"Write me an invoice or something…"

"Sure, sure… I'll give it to you after work… Or studying in your case, heheh…"

"Ah, right, I'm going to the course today… Where?"

"I'm leading you to the classroom right now."

On the third floor of the east wing, Adolfine stopped before a door.

"Enter, Toshiro… And may your goddess have you in her grace…"

"It can't be that bad…" He said as he entered.

The room had only one chair and one one-person school desk. A big blackboard was before him, and a lectern between. Behind the lectern, a single man was standing, with his back to Toshiro. The man turned around.

He had a rather unpleasant facial expression and a monocle in his right eye.

_When in doubt…_

Toshiro saluted.

"I see my student has come… First the formalities and pleasantries." The man said with deep voice. "Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Sperrle. I will be your training officer for the next two weeks or so, so we should lay down some ground rules… First – tardiness is a crime in my book. You're late, and I'll whip your ass, and the good Kaiser won't help you. Second – you are to always address me properly. The proper ways of addressing me are – Herr Generalfeldmarschall or Herr Lehrer. Thirdly – I hope you really are a genius, because I will be cramming months' worth of education into your skull in mere two weeks and I will be the one that will judge if you pass. And lastly – no private matters discussed. We keep this strictly professional. We have a tight schedule, and I don't want to sidestep. Understood, Oberst Edelweiss?"

"Jawohl!" Toshiro shouted back.

"Then sit, pull out that notebook and pencil from your desk and let us commence. As an officer of the Wehrmacht, and particularly of the Luftwaffe…"

And so, Toshiro's torment began. Sperrle was talking like a machine gun, and drawing complicated tables, diagrams and plans on the blackboard, without any rest.

But a break finally happened - Toshiro was released for dinner. Totally coincidentally, Adolfine waited for him before the mess hall.

"You look like a dead man, Toshiro. But I sort of expected it…"

"Can I request another teacher?" Toshiro moaned.

"Nope."

"Then let's eat… I probably lost a kilogram or two just by listening to that guy…"

They entered the mess hall, and immediately Inge, being third from the beginning in the queue, waved to them.

"Hello, Herr Oberst!" She cheered. "Should I help today too?"

"Please, do… I would probably faint by waiting at the end of the line…"

"Verstanden!"

"You did it, Toshiro." Adolfine said with a smile. "Come on, let's get seated."

After getting seated, Adolfine asked, "So, how is it?"

"Laaaaater… I'm so hungry I could eat the table…"

"Aaah, I heard he's got such an effect on his students…"

Toshiro just rested his head on the table and sighed deeply.

"Heheh, poor Toshiro… You would probably rather do a marathon than this, huh?"

"Puh… Would I ever… I never used my noggin so hard…"

"Never?"

"Nah… School was like a summer breeze compared to his… Even cramming for my high school end exam I set up was much easier…"

"But you're managing, right?"

"Yes, yes… Yuki is even helping me if I skip something…"

"Oh, how nice…"

"Yeah…"

"Oh, look, dinner is coming."

Toshiro didn't even have the energy to turn around. He only saw as Inge put a plate full of bean soup complete with a spoon and loaf of bread before him.

"Oh, thanks, Inge…"

"Glad to help, Herr Oberst. Here, Adolfine."

"Thanks, Inge. Let us eat."

Sometime by the end, Adolfine started questioning Toshiro again.

"So, how is it?"

"The amount of knowledge I have to take in is truly titanic. The General is giving his lecture with the speed of an MG42 and he's using really specialist terms."

"But you do understand your situation now, right?"

"Yeah, I understand. And frankly, it's good that I'm given this course. I'm learning some really handy stuff now. Stuff that Minna didn't even touch upon when we were doing our usual paperwork."

"And how do you find the General himself?"

"He looks scary. But he's a really knowledgeable man, not bothered the slightest that I'm the Kaiser's nephew. And he is strict… and…" Toshiro looked at Adolfine, who stopped with her spoon midway. "…aaaaand he's behind me, right?"

A heavy hand landed on his right shoulder.

"Indeed I am, Oberst Edelweiss. I'm glad that you're taking this course seriously, and you're not whining or trying to mitigate the responsibility somehow. Finish up the soup, and let's go. We have the last straight for today, so to speak."

"Jawohl…" Toshiro responded quietly and started shoveling the soup quickly in his mouth, topping it off with some bread. "Finished. It was nice to eat in your company, Adolfine, Inge… Now I have more pressing matters at hand."

"Bye, Toshiro."

Toshiro's lips moved silently and formed a single sentence towards Adolfine.

'I will kill you…'

Adolfine just smiled towards him.

After returning to class, Toshiro's torment resumed. It ended at 1755, when Sperrle looked at his watch and said, "This is the end for today, Oberst. Have a good evening."

"Thank you for today, Herr Lehrer. Same time, same place tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Then good night, Herr Lehrer. I hope for an even better day tomorrow."

"Hope is the last to die…"

Toshiro took his notebook and exited the room.

_What sins have I committed in my past existence to deserve this torture…?_

Toshiro went to the ground floor lobby. Adolfine was waiting for him.

"Let's go home, Toshiro. Bye, Helga."

"Bye, Adolfine. Bye, Herr Oberst."

"Bye, Feldwebel."

They exited into the building into the brisk, dark evening. The car was already waiting for them.

"Don't even think of driving, Toshiro…"

"I'd rather drink battery acid in my current state… Just drive me home…"

"Don't tell me it's that bad…"

"Physically I'm rather fine, but mentally I'm pumped out…"

Toshiro slumped in the front seat of the car like a sack of bricks. Adolfine drove to her home. After entering his room, Toshiro just dropped down on the bed, just like he stood.

_Rest for my tired bones… Maybe I'll take a nap…_

* * *

"Toshiro… Hey… Toshiro…"

"Whaaaaaaat…" Toshiro mumbled while regaining consciousness.

"It's 2100, here, I brought you supper…"

"Oh, I'm sorry I dozed off…" Toshiro murmured while looking at a plate with some sandwiches and steaming hot tea. "Thanks for the bedroom service, Adi."

"You had a really hard day, I should take care of my friend and subordinate, heh… Eat up, take a bath, go to sleep. You'll have to repeat the same thing for the next sixteen days... Well, fourteen actually, you won't have class on Sundays."

"How nice…" Toshiro said sarcastically as Adolfine started exiting the room.

He ate and took a bath. With only a towel to cover his manly parts, he was stopped before he entered his room by Adolfine peeking out of hers.

"Good night, Toshiro. Remember – train hard, sleep harder!"

"Hahaha! Yeah, that's a good way to do it! Night, Adi."

Adolfine smiled brightly and closed the door to her room. Toshiro entered his room and dropped on his bed. While he was trying to go asleep, he heard muffled moaning from behind the wall. He listened carefully.

_Oooooh no… For fucks sake…_

Toshiro stuffed his head under his pillow and went to sleep after some time.

* * *

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	11. Chapter 11 – Everyone's cousin

Chapter 11 – Everyone's cousin

"Hmmm… Mom, what are you doing here?" Toshiro asked Akiko, who was sitting on a mat under the blooming sakura tree in Amaterasu's realm.

"Uh, well, I decided to move here. This way I'll have better contact with you. You know, less hassle… Aren't you happy?"

"I would lie if I'd say I'm not… Yeah, it's nice that I can at least meet you in another realm… Of course not when you'll be pestering me about grandchildren…"

"Well, from what I've heard, you could have a nice bunch of grandchildren already…" Akiko said with a coy smile.

"So you know…" Toshiro sighed.

"I don't exactly approve of you just banging around every beautiful girl you find, be it with Yoshika's consent or not…"

"Says the one that probably got knocked up on her first date…" Toshiro mumbled.

"It was the second one! And don't talk like that to your mother, or I'll wash your mouth with soap!"

"Sorry… But after seeing that photo, I could only wonder…"

"That photo? Oh my, so one copy survived… How nice."

"What do you mean by "One copy survived"?"

"Well… I wasn't careful enough with my copy of that picture and… it got in the fireplace…"

"Ooooh… How terrible…"

"Yes… But I got over it… My memories of Lucas are still vivid."

"By the way, where and when was that picture taken?"

"There was a small local festival in Yokosuka. It was our second date…" Akiko said with red cheeks.

"Oooooh… I understand…"

"Have anything else to discuss? I'm always here when you need me…"

"No, I believe not… I think I'll go back to _sleep_."

"Good night then, Toshiro."

"Thanks, mom…"

* * *

Toshiro opened his eyes, feeling fresh as a daisy. He exited his room, and bumped into Adolfine, who was still a bit sleepy.

"Oh, hi, Toshiro… Did you sleep well?"

"Sleep? Yes. But getting there was a pain in the ass…"

"Huh? Why?"

"Because SOMEONE decided to whack the beaver just behind my head…"

Adolfine's cheeks burned red as she looked ashamed at him

"I mean, I don't have anything against it, but seriously, be a bit quieter… You were moaning almost as loud as if I was drilling you myself…"

"S-Sorry…"

"Nah, don't worry… In the end, you probably came, I got to sleep… No harm done."

"Ummm… Yeah…"

"I should probably blame myself for not refusing your… offer to console me..."

"No, no… I'm grateful for what happened! But… You know… Nature abhors a vacuum…"

"Just don't turn into Shirley on me…"

"Into Shirley? How?"

"Let's say she was secretly harboring very romantic feelings towards me, despite Yoshika being my choice… We had a three sided quarrel because of that, but in the end, she realized that Yoshika and I are for real."

"Aaaah… I see… Well, I don't want to take you away from Yoshika or anything, no sir! You just woke up that part in me that laid dormant for two years…"

"And I also boosted your confidence towards me a bit, heheh…"

"Well, hey, after what we did, we can't go back, so we might as well advance, heehee… Let's move on with our daily schedule, kay?"

"Good idea. If I get late…"

"Oh, you don't want to…"

"I don't want to?"

"You don't want to…" Adolfine said while shaking her head.

* * *

The day rolled on lazily. They got to work, Toshiro went for his class, he went to dinner, back to class, back home and off to bed, this time not being kept up by Adolfine's shenanigans.

* * *

The next day at breakfast, Adolfine said, "Today, your class will be a bit shorter."

"Oh? Why? The grumpy General didn't tell me anything…"

"It's you uncle's birthday, Toshiro. He's having a small soiree in his office after 1500."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah fuck… I totally forgot… Damn officer course…"

"Don't worry, I don't have a gift for him either… I mean, what could you give an Emperor, right?"

"Your logic is truly infallible… I hope my uncle is also a man of reason at heart, heh..."

"I already told you once and I'll repeat it – your presence alone will be the best gift for him."

"Aaaaaand I remembered I was officially dead… Adi, tell me please – how did he manage?"

"Towards the outside? Hard as Krupp steel. But whenever he was alone with me…" Adolfine sighed. "He was a wreck of a man. Doctor Morell proposed amphetamines, but the Kaiser refused…"

"Yoshika once told me how she felt during that period… I can imagine it was somehow similar."

"Poor Yoshika, she probably experienced hell… But that's behind us, let's look brightly towards the future. Finish your food and get dressed. Today, you can drag out all your medals, but take them with you in their boxes. Sitting with all that brass on your chest during a lecture would probably piss off Sperrle, heh…"

"What, do I have more bling than he does?"

"Most certainly, hahaha! And not of such a variety… Toshiro, really, you have very high ranking awards from THREE countries now… I'm actually a bit jealous myself…"

"It's not like I'm hunting for them, right?"

"Right, right… Your moral compass just led you to them on the way, heheh…"

"By the way, what awards do you have, Adi?"

"Me? One you see every day, my Ritterkreuz. I have a silver Wound Badge and an Honor Clasp. And sadly, that's it…"

"Not bad, Adi, really, not bad… Most people only get a wound badge or something…"

"Or nothing… Or a posthumous Iron Cross…" She sighed. "Move, Toshiro."

They finished breakfast, and Toshiro went to his room. He dressed up and put on his Knight's Cross. The other four awards he had in his chest he took with him, each one packed in its original decorative box. With such a stack he exited his room, and like every day, Adolfine did the same at the same time. She had her regulatory Luftwaffe uniform again, and her badges pinned over her left breast, and her Knight's Cross handing down from her neck.

"You look nice, Adi. Distinguished, should I say…"

"Thanks, Toshiro. Now, off we go."

"One second… Did you ever think of wearing your hair differently?"

"Yes. All propositions looked bad to me…"

"Hmmmm…" Toshiro pondered while imagining every possible hair combination for Adolfine. "Yeaaah… Beside a geisha hairstyle, everything doesn't suit your beauty…"

"A geisha hairstyle… Hmmm… I didn't get such a proposition…"

"A shame I don't know how to style your hair like that. You would look really beautiful…"

"I'm not now?" She pouted.

"Now you're just amazing, heheh…"

"Ugh…" Adolfine poked him in the arm. "You really have a gift of pissing off people in such a way they won't be mad for more than a minute… Come on, or we'll get late…"

"Can I drive?"

Adolfine looked at him like as if he was a piece of dung on a stick and said, "I'd rather walk…"

* * *

When they entered HQ, Adolfine said, "Let's stop by at Helga first."

They approached the blonde receptionist, who greeted them immediately after she saw her.

"Greetings."

"Hi, Helga. Mind if we drop off some stuff?"

"And what would it be?" Helga asked.

"This guy's award." Adolfine said while pointing out Toshiro with her thumb.

"Ah, okay. Please, Herr Oberst, let me have those."

"Sure… uh, I'll call you Helga, I hate all this official rank hubbub…"

"Oh, please, I don't mind." Helga said with a slight blush.

Toshiro gave her the boxes, and she stashed them under her desk.

"Finished." She said.

"Have a nice day, Helga." Adolfine said.

"You too, Adolfine. And of course I wish you a nice day too, Herr Oberst."

"Heheh, a good one to you too, Helga." Toshiro said with a smile.

* * *

The two split up, Adolfine going her way, and Toshiro going to his class. He entered the room, but the General was still absent. He sat in his seat, and waited. Just after a minute, the General came in. Toshiro stood up in attention and saluted.

"At ease, at ease…" He mumbled. "As you may know, or not, it's the Kaiser's birthday today and he is throwing a little soiree, to which he invited me and you alike. So we are ending our class a bit earlier.

"Yes sir, Adolfine already told me about it."

"Good for you. But that only means that we will have to speed up! Prepare to receive your knowledge!"

"J-Jawohl!"

* * *

When the small handle on the clock over the blackboard was halfway between two and three, and the big one over six, Sperrle said, "Ende for today. I have to refresh myself a bit. I have a tip for you, Oberst."

"Yes?"

"Don't eat dinner now."

"Aaaah… So there's a chance I could stuff myself full at the party?"

"That is what I implied. I will take my leave now."

Toshiro saluted and the General went out. Toshiro slopped down on the chair and mumbled, "Huuuuurrrggghhh… But I want to eat… Let's see if I can get at least a salad in me…"

Toshiro went to the mess hall. This time he didn't bump into Adolfine, and the line was short, so he took his place. After ten minutes, he stood before the massive buffet lady.

"What's cooking?" He joked.

"Hackbraten."

"I'll bite. But only a small portion, if it's possible."

"Define small…" She said with a bored voice.

"A third of the usual."

"Can do… Fig compote or apple juice?"

"First option."

She turned around and went to the kitchen. After a minute she returned with two slices of meatloaf and a glass of compote.

"Have at it…" She mumbled. "Next!"

Toshiro shrugged and went to a free table. He devoured the content of his plate in a matter of minutes, such was his hunger.

_Well, at least I covered the bottom of my stomach… Now where could Adi's shapely ass be around…?_

Toshiro returned his plates to the counter and exited the mess hall. By pure coincidence, he bumped into Adolfine.

"Ah, here you are! I was looking over half the building for you…"

"You should know that I have a ravenous hunger after each study session…"

"Yeah… I hope you have some place in that six pack protected gut of yours?"

"I only had two slices of meatloaf"

"Ah, then okay. Let's go to Helga."

As they approached Helga, she already pulled out the boxes with Toshiro's awards.

"Ah, thanks, Helga." Toshiro said.

"Most obliged, Herr Oberst."

"Ah, come on, call me Toshiro."

"If you wish… Toshiro…" She said with a small smile. "Are you going to the Kaisers little birthday celebration?"

"Yes. Coming too?"

"No… I wasn't invited… And I would feel veeeeery uncomfortable…"

"Why should you? The guests are probably all people you greet from this spot, right?"

"Right but… my rank is a little… low to mingle at such an event…"

"As you wish, Helga. Maybe I'll smuggle out something for you, heheh…"

"Heehee, I'm not expecting anything, but if you manage to bring me something back, I'll be happy."

"Stop flirting with Helga, and get those awards of yours in order, sheesh…" Adolfine sighed.

"Yeah, yeah… Let's sit down on that bench and I'll do everything…"

Toshiro sat on the nearby bench, and put on all his awards. Adolfine looked at him with a sour face and said, "Let me do a few adjustments…"

He felt that Adolfine made a few tugs on the ribbon of the Legion of Honor, she tilted the sash of the Order of the Sunlit Moon a tad and she re-pinned his Honor Clasp above the Wound Badge.

"Now you look like a man. Let's go."

"Where?"

"To the Kaiser's office."

"So what, no fancy ball room?"

"Toshiro… That room is so snazzy and spacious you might as well make a New Year's Eve party there…"

"Valid point… Let's go then."

They scaled the stairs to the floor where the Kaiser had his office. Two soldiers, armed to the teeth were guarding the entrance door. They approached Inge's desk, and this time, she didn't have her uniform, but a velvet little black dress.

"Now, now… Inge, you look sexy…" Toshiro said honestly.

"R-R-R-R-Really?!"

"Yup. I wonder why those two square jaws at the door aren't hitting on you yet…"

"Because they know I would rip their dicks off. Well, let's do the formalities… Generalmajor Adolfine Josephine Fernanda Galland and Oberst Toshiro Lucas Edelweiss have arrived. Guards, send the gests in." She said in imperious tone.

"Jawohl!" They both shouted, saluted and started opening the double wing door.

"Did I just hear two additional names behind _Adolfine_, Adolfine?" Toshiro asked quietly.

"Ah, well… Shirley didn't make a fuss out of her middle name too, right? And you use your middle name once in a blue moon…"

"Yeah, I suppose so… But Adi is too sweet, heheh…"

Once the door opened, Toshiro almost lost his breath. The couch and desk were moved out of the room, and instead, a long table was standing in the middle of the room. It was chock full of fruit bowls, platters with canapés and the finest silver plates and cutlery. The room was full of people in uniforms, all flashing as many awards as it was possible.

"Holy… Adolfine, I'm literally scared…" Toshiro whispered.

"The Field Marshals and Grand Admiral's don't bite, heehee… Oh shit, the boss himself! Toshiro, salute!"

Toshiro quickly looked at the direction Adolfine was looking. A man approached them, at least sixty years of age, with swept back, slowly graying hair and a small moustache. Toshiro knew who he was, even a total ignorant like him knew. It was Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel – the chief of the OKW, de facto the boss of the Wehrmacht. Toshiro saluted nervously.

"At ease, Oberst, we're off duty here." Keitel said. "It's nice that I can finally meet you in person."

"Um, the pleasure is on my side, Herr Generalfeldmarschall. It's nice to meet the boss of my boss, heh…"

"Yeesss… Adolfine is fitting for your superior… Well, it was nice to meet you, but Erwin is such a passionate story teller! Please excuse me…" Keitel said and went on.

"Hmm… Ah, indeed, Rommel is also here… Care to explain who is who, Adolfine?"

"Sure. The chumpy looking guy who looks like a Christmas tree beside Rommel is Otto Moritz Walter Model. The other chump is Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus. To the right of them are Robert Ritter von Greim and someone you should know – Smiling Albert. Another group behind them are Ehrhard Milch, that's the guy that looks like his crib was on fire and somebody tried to extinguish the fire with a shovel. The suave looking guy with him is Erich von Manstein. The two Großadmiräle are Karl Dönitz and Erich Johann Albert Raeder. The guy supporting the wall is Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg. He didn't even get a Knight's Cross, heheh… Ah, Sperrle joined him…"

"You sure have… vivid descriptions…"

"Hey, a Karlslander has to be efficient, right?"

"Haha, yeah… Oh, look, Uncs is coming."

The birthday boy himself was dressed as usual, only he had his Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross pinned to a sash.

"Ah, my two favorite people in the Wehrmacht, hohoho!" Franz said loudly and bear hugged Toshiro.

"Heh, nice to see you again, uncle. But you know, I have to disappoint you…"

"Oh, what is it?"

"I don't have any present for you…" Toshiro said with his head hung down.

"Toshiro… I can have any worldly possession I want, but the best present is you standing here, healthy and in good spirit…"

"Really?"

"Yes…" Franz said and extended his hand towards Toshiro.

"Happy Birthday, Uncle… Which is it by the way?"

"Fifty six, Toshiro. Just as your father would be…" He sighed. "Oh, I actually have something for you!" He said and pulled out an envelope. "Open it once you're home."

"What is it?"

"You'll see. Now, Adolfine…"

"Ummm… Froher Geburtstag, Herr Kaiser?" She said flustered.

"And what about a gift for your good Emperor?"

"Uh, well… umm…"

"Adolfine, Adolfine… I invite you to a party which only the top notch can attend, and yet you have no trinket for me… This is the last time I let it slide…"

"Jawohl…" Adolfine mumbled ashamed.

"Nah, I'm shitting you. Half of these stuck ups didn't bring me anything, since I didn't request anything."

"R-really?!"

"Yes. I didn't mention it to you?"

"No…"

"Then I am now, hohoho! Beeernaaaaard! Bring in the food!" Franz yelled as he turned around to the gathered. "Everyone! Thank you for coming! Now it's time to eat some food!"

The gathered applauded and the process of getting seated commenced. Toshiro wound up on the Kaiser's right side, and Adolfine was seated on Toshiro's right.

The first dish rolled in. It was grilled salmon with baked potatoes, covered in some brown sauce and some herbs.

After eating that, everyone got a piece of goose.

"Hey, uncle…" Toshiro whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Could you tell the waiters to give some goose and salmon to Helga downstairs, while it's still warm? Ah, and maybe Inge could use some too…"

"The receptionist? You already befriended her, huh?"

"Heheheh…" Toshiro laughed dryly.

"Sure, sure." Franz said and waved in a waiter.

He whispered something to him and after receiving an affirmative not, Franz resumed stuffing himself.

For desert, and enormous birthday cake rolled in, and everyone sang _Happy Birthday_.

"Well, this was a nice party…" Franz said to Toshiro. "You both can go home now, I'll be having some chit chat with the rest."

"Should we really?" Adolfine asked.

"Yes… And I can see that Toshiro isn't exactly comfortable…"

"Then we bid you farewell, Mein Kaiser."

"Bye, Uncle."

"Good night, you two."

After they went outside the room and the doors closed behind them, Toshiro sighed deeply.

"Finally out, huh?" Inge asked.

"Yeah… But I doubt you had fun…" Toshiro asked.

"It wasn't that bad…And I got some food!"

"How nice. We'll be leaving."

"Okay, good night you two."

"Night." Both Adolfine and Toshiro responded.

They ventured down the stairs, where Helga still sat on her usual spot.

"Hey, Helga, was the food good?" Toshiro asked.

"Ah, yes, exquisite! Did you make it happen?"

"I told you I would get something for you, right?"

"Heehee, thanks. Going already?"

"Yup."

"Good night then. Toshiro, Adolfine."

"Good night." The two responded and Toshiro took his medal boxes from Helga.

* * *

Toshiro and Adolfine returned home. He undressed himself and put all medals in their boxes. Then, he remembered he had the envelope in his pants. He pulled the envelope out and opened it.

"Edelweiss family tree, prototype…. Huh?" Toshiro wondered as he looked at the piece of paper with lots of names and dates, connected with lines on it. "Maybe Adolfine will want to see this with me…"

Toshiro wandered down, and saw Adolfine sitting in the living room on the couch.

"Mind if I join?" He asked.

"Be my guest…" She said and patted the spot beside her. "Oh, what's that?"

"It seems to be my family tree. Want to analyze it together?"

"Why not…"

The Akayama part of the tree was full of blank spots and question marks. The only sure entries were Rei Akayama, his great grandmother, Kamiko Akayama, his grandmother, Akiko Akayama, his mother and him, who came out of a combined line with Lucas Edelweiss. He looked up towards the earlier generations of the Edelweiss. His father was connected to the previous Kaiser, and he was in turn connected to Mary Barkhorn and Conrad Edelweiss.

"Wait a second… Mary Barkhorn?" Toshiro asked stumped.

"Maybe that's your grandma's maiden name?" Adolfine asked. "Let's look up further."

The father of Mary was name Franz Josef Barkhorn, who was on the same level as Gerhard Barkhorn. Toshiro's pulse increased almost twofold as he skipped two generations, and found two names, all too known for him – Gertrud Barkhorn and Christiane Barkhorn.

Toshiro's face now looked like the character on the famous painting from Edvard Munch. Adolfine wasn't all too far from that expression.

"Incredible… Fucking incredible…" Toshiro said with a voice as if he just crossed the Kalahari Dessert.

"Uh, well… Look at that, Toshiro… Now you can call Gertrud per _cousin_…"

Toshiro shook his head violently.

"Wow, and I wanted her in our orgy…" Toshiro mumbled.

"You what?!"

"Yeah, I proposed that Trude joined that foursome of ours back then, but I shrugged off the idea myself… Phew, close call…"

"Indeed…"

"We only kissed once, that doesn't count too… Right?"

"Hardly…"

"Wow, what a revelation… I can't wait to see the look on her face, bueheheheheh…"

"That will surely be something…"

A sudden realization struck Toshiro.

"Ooooooh…"

"What is it?"

"If Yoshika marries me, then she will become Trude's family, and also Chris's… Wow, Trude will flip from joy…"

"You say?"

"Yeah. Chris looks like a younger Yoshika from what I could compare. And Trude is an incurable siscon…"

"So I heard… Well, it's about 2000… What would you want to do?"

"Maybe some lifting after pigging out?"

"Splendid!"

They worked out for an hour, and then both washed themselves and turned in for the day.

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	12. Chapter 12 – Birthday girls

Chapter 12 – Birthday girls

_Over a week has passed since uncle's birthday. The daily routine of the officer's course was slowly growing on me. On a Sunday, I got out and explored the city a bit on my own. I stuffed myself full with the local cuisine, but I still didn't see the whole city. It's just too big… Ah, whatever, maybe another Sunday, which would be tomorrow…? But today, I have a mission. Today's the 18__th__ of August, a triple occasion! Holy shit, why didn't I do any preparations yesterday, aaaaaaaaargh! Never mind, up and at 'em!_

Toshiro stood up and dressed himself in his training clothes. He shot out of his room and ran down the stairs, and down to the basement. After quickly starting a fire under the boiler, he ran up the stairs. Unexpectedly, Adolfine was already waiting for him with a confused expression

"Toshiro, why are you running like a madman from the morning up? You didn't even respond to my 'Hi'…"

"Oh, hi… You know, today's a special day…"

"Special day… Hmmm… What is it about?"

"Yoshika and Eila have their birthday, so I thought I'll call both of them. And by extension I might as well wish happy birthday to that Shizuka girl that's with Yoshika… So, that's why I'm rushing like that, since I would like to leave earlier…"

Adolfine placed her hands on his shoulders, shook her head and said, "Toshiro, Toshiro… I already have those bases covered… I called the 502nd, and it appears Eila and Sanya are using their base as their own base of operations in the efforts toward finding the latter's parents. As for Yoshika, their ship will have a full day stop today in the port of Durban, so this will considerably ease the effort of contacting her. We'll just shorten our workout…"

Toshiro's eyes glittered and he hugged Adolfine.

"Thanks, Adi…"

"Heheh…" Adolfine laughed and patted his back. "But, if you want for them to have birthday parties, you have to arrange that with the ship's captain and Gundi."

"Gundi?" Toshiro tilted his head.

"Major Gundula Rall, the commander of the 502nd. She's a bit laid back, so you'll have no problems with talking to her."

"Ah, okay. You're really a life saver…"

"I just like you too much to let you worry, heehee… Come on, the weights won't lift themselves."

"Oh they won't…"

After workout, bathing and breakfast, they left for the HQ. After being spotted, Helga greeted them. "Good morning you two. Why so early today?"

"Hi, Helga. I have a special mission today, so I had to reserve some time for it in the morning."

"Aaaah, I won't press the issue further. Have a good day, and good luck!"

"Thanks!"

"Follow me to my office, Toshiro." Adolfine said.

"Okay!"

They slowly walked to Adolfine's office. She opened the door and said, "Make yourself cozy, I'll go and look for myself elsewhere."

"No, no… You don't have to go anywhere. I have a feeling you'll get to talk to Yoshika…"

"Oh, okay then…"

Toshiro sat at the small desk of Joachim and Adolfine sat on it.

"So, who do I call if I want Yoshika?"

"The Durban port authority. Just tell them your name and everything should go smoothly."

"Kay, let's go…"

After a while of line switching, he heard a deep, male voice, "Durban port authority office, how may I help you?"

"Hi, this is Toshiro Edelweiss calling…"

"Ah, you are the one that General talked about. Wait one moment, I'll do what I was told."

Toshiro heard a muffled "Girls, come in!" and after a few seconds the man asked, "So, whom should I pass the receiver to first? The brown haired girl or the black haired girl?"

"The brown haired one please."

"Okay, here you go."

He could her a faint "Here, it's for you." And then he heard the voice that was like honey poured on his heart.

"Hello?"

"Hi, sweetie. Missed me?"

"Toshiro!" She shouted so loudly his right ear almost popped. "Yay, Toshiro's calling!"

"Oh, you're really happy from what I hear…"

"Bah! Toshiro, this is so damn boring! It's like the Akagi all over again, only now, I can't even swab the deck for fun!" She shouted "And Shizuka is such a stickler to rules, bleh…" She added quietly. "And it's cold! We're in Africa and it's cold!"

"Just like here, Yoshika. You know why I'm calling?"

"Hmmm… You missed me?"

"Ain't that a bit too obvious for me?"

"Heehee… I don't know then…"

"Oh Yoshika, Yoshika… Happy birthday you little dunce…"

"Oooooooooooh! Wow! You remembered! And I've forgotten about my own birthday because of this boring trip! Yay, thanks! Be sure to call Sanya, okay?"

"Sure I will! That's the next thing I'll do after I talk over some things with the captain of your ship and Shizuka. And I have some stuff to talk about with you…"

"Humm?"

"Five-five."

After a brief moment of silence, Yoshika said, "Adolfine?"

"Yeeeeaaaah…"

"On her own?"

"Yup."

"How?"

"She wanted to comfort me after my grandma died." Toshiro said while looking at the intrigued Adolfine.

"Oh, sorry to hear…"

"I'm living in her house by the way."

"You are? Toshiro… I hope you're being civilized…"

"Yuki is keeping me at bay, don't worry."

"Hmm… Is she with you now?"

"Yup."

"Gimme her, I want to ask her one question."

"Okay." Toshiro said and looked at Adolfine. "Adi, Yoshika wants to ask you a question."

"Me? Okaaay…" She said as she took the receiver from Toshiro. "Hello? Yes…" A long pause took place during which Adolfine's face got really red. "Um, if you want me too… Okay… Okay… Happy birthday by the way… Yeah… I'll give it back… Here, Toshiro." She passed on the receiver to him.

"What the hell did you ask the poor Adi? She's red as a winter sunset…"

"Won't tell, heehee… And I told her not to tell you either, so don't put pressure on her!"

"Okay… Have something else to discuss?"

"No… I believe nothing…"

"Then pass on the receiver to Shizuka."

"Okay. I miss you by the way…"

"I miss you too… By the way… Sanya and you aren't the only girls that have their birthday today."

"No? Who are the other ones?"

"She's standing beside you."

"You mean… Really?"

"Yup. Come on now, pass the receiver to her."

"Okay! Bye, Toshiro!"

"Bye, sweetcake."

After a few seconds, a frightened voiced said, "H-Hello?"

"Sergeant Shizuka Hattori?" Toshiro asked in an official tone.

"Y-Yes?"

"Colonel Toshiro Edelweiss, fiancé of Yoshika. Now listen – if as much as a hair falls of Yoshika's head, I will kill you. Maybe not literally, but I've got enough connections to sack you out of the Naval Academy."

"Y-Y-Yes sir!"

"And try to entertain Yoshika more, befriend her or something."

"I c-c-can't just like that! I'm younger, lower ranked and… I admire her too much to just talk with her casually…" She said the last part so quietly that Toshiro had to guess it.

Toshiro sighed and said, "Can I call you Shizuka?"

"Y-yes, if you like…"

"Okay then, Shizuka… Judging by your voice and that photo I saw in your dossier, you're an honest and good girl. Now please, at least try to get along with Yoshika. She's still a bit down after she lost her magic abilities, and me being away from her also has an impact on her… So if not friends, at least become a… conversation partner or something… She may be your role model or something, but she's not technically in the military right now, so you can drop the rank bullshit and treat her like a normal girl."

"Oh… Okay, I'll try…"

"Or I'll tell Yoshika to sodomize you."

"So…So…So…" Shizuka started stuttering heavily.

"Don't even try to repeat that word in public! Is the captain of your ship somewhere around?"

"Y-yes, he's in this room."

"Then give me him AFTER I clear another issue…"

He could hear Shizuka whimper.

"Happy birthday, Shizuka."

"W-W-W-What? How do you… Ah, you've read my dossier… Heehee, thank you, sir."

"Now, give me the captain, and both of you can go. Play some cards or something."

"Okay." Shizuka said confidently and the audio started co crackle.

"Yes, this is the captain speaking." A male voice said.

"Hello, this is Colonel Toshiro Edelweiss."

"Ah, such a famous war hero calling me… What can I help you with, Colonel?"

"I have a little selfish request… Did the girls go already?"

"Yes, they ran off."

"Could you and the crew organize a little birthday party for the two?"

"Hmmm… Maybe… But it won't be anything flashy… And I doubt I can organize a cake…"

"It's the intent that counts, captain."

"Ah, what the hell. They'll have their birthday party today! Just tell me the name of that dark one, the other one I know… Well, everyone knows that now…"

"Shizuka Hattori, fourteen. Yoshika is now sixteen by the way."

"Understood. Anything else you want from this old salt?"

"Nah, nothing more. Thanks for everything, captain."

"Have a nice day, Colonel."

"And vice versa."

Toshiro laid down the receiver.

"Pheeeeew… Two down, one to go…"

"About that sodomizing…"

"What, you want a go at Yoshika? But Adi… I would have to go to Africa and shaft Tina to get the score even now…"

"S-shut up! Your intelligence and bluntness creeps me out sometimes…" Adolfine said with rosen cheeks.

"So you do want to try…" Toshiro said with a sly smile.

"M-maybe…"

"I won't judge you… I thought Shirley and Minna were straight to the bone, and suddenly – bang. Buuuut you'll have to organize Tina for me at the same time. Maybe we could do a foursome… Ah, shit, that would put Yoshika in advantage again… Uuuuuuh… Scratch that, I would have to bang Tina on the side…"

"Stop daydreaming, Toshiro… You're wasting time, and if you're late…"

"Ah, shit, you're right. 502nd, prepare yourself!"

After the usual rituals, he heard a rather harsh voice.

"Major Gundula Rall, who am I speaking with?"

"Oberst Toshiro Edelweiss."

"Aaaah, Adi's pupil!" Rall's tone changed immediately. "Whatcha want, Oberst?"

"Is Sanya somewhere nearby?"

"Mmmm, well… It would be a bother to call her out… Why do you want to talk to her?"

"You don't know what day it is?"

"Saturday, August 18, Anno Domini 1945."

"Ugh, I perfectly well know the day date…"

"Then I don't know…"

"It's Sanya's fifteenth birthday."

"Oh really?! The little Sanya is turning fifteen today?!"

"Yup."

"But that is in need of celebration! I believe her lovey dovey Eila wanted to tell me something today, but I think Nikka scared her of… Okay, a party it will be!"

"Um, can I have her at the phone already?"

"Ah, yeah! I got a bit too forward, heehee… Wait a second, okay?"

"Yeah…"

Toshiro could hear that Rall started shouting "Sanya, c'mere to the office! There's someone on the phone for you!"

"Okay, I called her in through the PA, she should be here in a few…"

"I heard you shouting here in Neue Karlsland…" Toshiro grumbled.

"Heheh… So, if I may ask…"

"Toshiro."

"Ah, okay, call me Gundi then."

"Suuure, Gundi…"

"So, is it true that your fiancé… swings both ways?"

"Hmmm?"

"I mean, I heard from a reliable source that Miyafuji is bi…"

"And what would that source be? Is it perhaps silver haired and wearing white tights?"

"Yes, that would be Eila! Oh, fuck… She told me that one in confidence…"

"Well, since you have such a loose tongue, I'll leave you in uncertainty…"

"Baaawww, Toshiroooo! Come on!"

"We barely know each other, Gundi…"

"But I really won't tell! Only Nikka and I know that Sanya and Eila are queer as a three dollar bill, I promise this won't leak outside of this office!"

"I hope you're not using a broad term here… Yes, Yoshika is bi-curious."

"And she looks so innocent…"

"Hahahahaha! If she'd get you _on the side_ so to speak, you would be in for a surprise!"

"Amazing… Ah, Sanya's here. Hey, Sanya, come over."

After a few clicks and rustles, he heard the shy voice of his favorite Orussian.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sanya."

"Oh, Toshiro! How nice of you to call me on this day."

"Heheh, you probably knew I was coming, huh? Happy birthday, Sanya."

"Heehee, thank you. Eila told me somebody I know very well will contact me today."

"For once her tarot cards were useful…"

"Well, she has her better days… What are you doing right now, Toshiro? How's Yoshika?"

"I'm undertaking an officer's course in Neue Karslsland, since I never had one. Then I'll be helping develop new stuff for me. After that – hell would I know. And Yoshika… Yoshika's on a ship to Europe. She'll be studying in Basel in Helvetia."

"Oh, how nice for both of you. But you two are separated right now… Did you call her today?"

"Of course I did! I have my priorities set straight, heheh…"

"Heehee… Well, I'm still searching for my parents now…"

"At least you know they might be alive… And I bet you're tuned in to receive radio waves for the whole day, right?"

"Heh, yes… Even now I have my antennas out, scanning the airwaves for that one song… Maybe I could ascertain the location of my parents if I'm close enough to the broadcast…"

"Good luck, Sanya. And don't let Eila go to rough on you today."

"Hmmm… I'll damper her a bit, but who knows… Things might get a bit hot… And I've been depriving Eila of… stimulus lately…"

"I can sympathize with her on that one… Ehhh… Bye, Sanya. I hope we'll meet again!"

"Goodbye, Toshiro. I also hope we'll meet in person once more."

Toshiro hooked the receiver and looked at the grumpy Adolfine.

"Why do your conversation always have to veer off towards the topic of sex…?"

"Dunno… Maybe because I'm a lean, mean, fornicating machine?"

"Or a perv right to the bone… You should run off to Sperrle, or you'll be in trouble."

"Yeah, thanks for everything!" Toshiro said and ran to the class room. He managed just in time.

"Ah, my favorite student… Today, we will be learning about…"

The rest of the day went on rather normally.

* * *

Just before Adolfine closed the door to her bedroom, Toshiro asked, "Hey, Adi, what did you talk about with Yoshika?"

"Hah, you'd like to know, huh?"

"Well, sort of…"

"You'll get to know soon enough…" She said in a flirtatious tone and closed her door.

_What did those two talk about…? Damn little secrets between women… Sheesh…_

* * *

**I have some _bonus cut content_ available the usual way. ;)**

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	13. Chapter 13 - Matriculation

Chapter 13 – Matriculation

_So a few days passed since the 18__th_. _The next day, Sanya unexpectedly called me._

"Toshirooo…" She said with an uncertain voice.

"Yes, Sanya? What's the matter?"

"I… I did it… With Eila… All out… And…"

"Wait, wait… Why are you calling ME? Why are you calling anyone for that matter?!"

"Because… I wanted to thank you…"

"For what…?" Toshiro asked a bit dumbfounded.

"For helping our relationship… Both in Britannia and Romagna… And I've heard that you somewhat contributed to my birthday… Thanks… Again, heehee… Maybe it wasn't as good as the ones you took part in, but I still had fun…"

"I guess even a funeral would be fun if Eila is by your side, right?"

"Depends on the one being buried, but most likely yes… Oh, I have to finish? Toshiro, I have to go now, Gundi wants to have the office for her private matters…"

"Sure, sure… Have a nice day."

_Today is the 22__nd__, and it's supposedly the last day of my course. And after that I'll probably move my sorry ass from Adi's nice home to some barracks in the Rosario High Tech Research Institute… Not fun… I made myself cozy here, and I've grown accustomed to being served breakfast by Adi… Not to mention I'm very fond of seeing her in the morning, heheh…_

_The conversation at breakfast of course veered over to that topic immediately. Well, at least Adi was decent enough not to bother me just after I've woke up…_

"So, Toshiro… Happy that your days under Sperrle's whip are over?"

"Yes and no, Adi. It's truly a bother but… I'll be missing you in Rosario…"

"Dawww… Toshiro, don't say such things or you'll make me blush…"

"You're blushing either way."

"Heh… But I'm sure you'll get along with Ursula and Helma just fine. And the professors Einstein and Von Braun will surely want to teach you some rocket science, heheh…"

"Einstein and Von Braun are at Rosario?! No shit!"

"There since Operation Bifrost… They are really putting their backs into researching new weaponry… I believe Einstein said something about a new bomb type…"

_The nuclear bomb… So in this universe, that will also be developed… In that Alternate Earth, those bombs would be already developed and used by this date… I hope they won't try to use it as some last resort… Maybe… Maybe I should… Hmmmm… This could be good…_

"Bomb or whatnot, I'll still miss you, Adi. Not every soldier in the Wehrmacht has such a beautiful boss, who lets her subordinate sleep in her own home and even makes him breakfast every day, haha!"

"Ah… Well… I'm not going to lie that I won't miss you too… You were a nice companion around the house and at the times we were together at home…"

"But wait, Adolfine… Why are we talking like that as if it was already decided that I'm going to Rosario first thing tomorrow?"

"Because that's the likely course of action. I can't tell you the details, but if you were a diligent student, you should have your papers in order by 2000 today."

"You and your secrets… Every day a new secret…" Toshiro sighed. "But hey, on the average, I was always pleasantly surprised! Maybe this time that will also happen…"

Adolfine smiled mysteriously and said, "I guarantee with all my authority that there's at least one thing that will make you smile today."

"Go Adi!" Toshiro shouted and laughed.

They finished breakfast and went on to the HQ. After Toshiro reached the classroom and after the usual greeting, Sperrle said, "Today, there's a little change of plans, Oberst…"

"Oh, is there, Herr Lehrer?"

"Most certainly. Class ends one hour earlier tomorrow."

"Yeee…"

"Don't open the Champaign just yet, Oberst… At 1700, you will be taking your one and only but final exam."

"An exam… If I may ask, how it will look like?"

"Simple. Forty questions, multiple choice. You'll get question sheets and an answer sheet. You put down your answers, then after you're finished or the allotted hour passes, I take the answer sheet and use a template to check your answers. Thirty out of forty is a pass."

"I see…"

"Then let us commence with the last lesson… As mentioned yesterday…"

And so, it went on and on as usual. But, since this was the last one, Toshiro paid even more attention than usual. When Sperrle finally let him go to dinner, he wasn't even tired. That didn't escape the attention of Adolfine during dinner.

"Say, Toshiro, you look really energetic today. Normally you would just slouch down and moan how terrible it is."

"It's the last straight, Adolfine. Maybe six hours and I'll have this course behind me. Of course if I pass the exam that is…"

"You'll ace it, I'm sure…" Adolfine said. "In last resort you can probably use Yuki to help you a bit, she probably learned one thing or another herself…"

"Yuki?" Inge, who was sitting with them as usual asked.

"Toshiro's familiar. It's a veeeeery rare one, she's almost like a second being inside of him."

"Hmmm… Weird… Unsettling even… Doesn't it bother you, Toshiro?"

"Bother? A bit… I can't do any hand work, because she's always watching… If you know what I mean…"

Inge's usually pale cheeks flushing like mad was a clear sign she knew.

"Sorry, I really had the urge to crack a lewd joke… Well anyway, I think Yuki is one of the women that influenced my life the most… For better or worse."

_"__False praise won't get you anywhere…"_

_"__You know I'm praising you honestly, you stubborn snake…"_

_"__Yes, yes… Thanks…"_

"Anyway, good luck, Toshiro." Inge said. "I don't mind you not having officers training, but if you would be demoted because of the lack of it, I might get a bit sad… Not to mention the rest of the club members and non-attached members…"

"Then I'll give it my best. Just for you, heheh…"

Dinner ended, and Toshiro returned to class. After two hours and a few odd minutes, Sperrle finally said, "Well, Oberst, I hope you're mentally prepared, because it's exam time."

"A True Soldier of Karlsland is prepared even when he's dreaming of his Heidi in a non-ambiguous situation, Herr Lehrer." Toshiro said with a smile.

A small smile cracked on the usually stern face of Sperrle and he said, "That is true. Now excuse me, I'll be a bit loud… Begin the exam!" He yelled.

Immediately, two men entered the room. But it weren't just two random men, but Field Marshalls – Keitel and Kesselring. The first had an envelope with him, and the latter had a box akin to the Telemetry Device Toshiro used a few times to get readings from Strikers.

Toshiro almost jumped up to salute, but he was quickly waved down by Keitel. As Toshiro sat down, Keitel started explaining himself and his comrade.

"An exam has to be performed before a three man commission, that's why Albert and I joined. In this sealed envelope are – the question sheets, the answer sheet and, in another envelope inside of it – the answer template. The device Albert is carrying is a… precaution…"

Toshiro tilted his head slightly, and Kesselring started explaining.

"This device is a Magic Emission Detector. It's mostly used to see if a Striker engine is not leaking, but if set to a high sensitivity, it can detect the use of magic overall. Now, why would I lug this device with me you might ask…? It's because, from what I've heard, most of your powers don't manifest themselves when you use them. That's why we took precautions."

Toshiro furled his eyebrows, but before he could utter a single consonant, Keitel said, "I know, I know… You're a moral paragon when it comes to it, but ordnung muss sein. Now, Albert, turn on the device."

Kesselring turned a few knobs and said, "Ready, nothing detected. Oberst, please, use whatever magic feat you can, we need to see if the device works."

Toshiro sighed, and without moving a muscle, he projected a small shield before his right eye, mocking Sperrle's monocle.

The device started beeping and Albert said, "Okay, you can stop now."

Toshiro stopped projecting the shield and the device silenced itself.

_"__Yuki, I wonder if the device will pick up us talking to each other."_

_"__No chance, Toshiro. We are connected beyond simple magic. As you can hear, that box didn't even peep right now."_

_"__So will you help me?"_

_"__Yes, yes… I guess it can't be exactly considered cheating, since I'm an integral part of you."_

"Okay then." Sperrle said. "Let us begin. Wilhelm, open the envelope please."

Keitel ripped open the sealed envelope, and a few sheets of paper and a smaller envelope dropped on the desk. Sperrle took all of it and looked through them thoroughly.

"Everything is in ordnung. Oberst, approach us and take your sheets."

_Heheh…_

Toshiro stood up and walked forward. When he stopped before the desk, Keitel took the sheets of paper and gave them to Toshiro.

"Good luck, Oberst. Maybe one day you'll get your red epaulets…"

"This is a step in the right direction." Toshiro replied and went back to his seat.

After he sat down, Kesselring leaned back on the Sperrle's desk, and Keitel started walking around. But Toshiro was concentrated on the exam. The gods must have smiled upon his this day, as the questions were something he could answer even without this course. At least most of it. It took him only a third of the allotted time and he said, "Done."

"Already?" Sperrle asked. "Are you positively and ultimately sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Then come on and give me the answer sheet."

As Toshiro was approaching, Keitel said, "You don't have to wait for the results passively, Oberst. The Kaiser requested your presence in his office after you finish."

"Really? Thank you for the info, Herr Generalfeldmarschall. I'm of then."

Toshiro exited the room and walked up to his uncle's office.

"Hey, Toshiro, how did it go?" Inge asked.

"I think I passed… Uncle wanted to see me?"

"Indeed."

Toshiro entered the office and saw the Kaiser sitting behind his desk and the photographer sitting on the couch before a covered easel.

"Ah, Toshiro! How did it go?"

"Dunno, I probably passed, unless those were trick questions."

"Good, good. As you already know from the loose-tongue Adolfine, we wanted to honor your late mother somehow… This is where Adolf comes in…"

"Hmm, yes…" Adolf cleared his throat and stood up. "This is a piece I have been painting during the last two months, but only thanks to the photograph that your late grandmother left you, I was able to finish it... This, is my masterpiece…" He said and unveiled the painting.

At first, Toshiro thought that this was another rendition of the Pieta – the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of her crucified son, Jesus Christ.

But then, he saw it.

It was not Mary, who was holding a dead body, it was his own mother, Akiko, eighteen years younger, just like on the photograph, with long raven black hair, looking down with a glad look and with her jet black eyes shedding a single tear.

The one she was looking at wasn't Jesus, nor was he dead. It was him, with his black hair cut in a standard, navy way, looking with his black eyes at Akiko. His head was supported by hear right hands, and Toshiro's right hand was busy, gently, with one finger, caressing Akiko's left cheek.

Their left hands were bound together, but not with their fingers interwoven like lovers, but simply softly grabbing their palms together. Toshiro was almost naked, but like in the Pieta, his loins were covered with a cloth.

The whole scene had an eerie feeling to it, as they were surrounded by monolithic darkness, but at the same time they were basked in big ray of golden light, as if the gods shone a giant spotlight on them.

Toshiro didn't knew what to say, or even what to think, so much has this painting hit him.

"Judging by your facial expression, Toshiro, you're moved." Franz said softly.

"Uuuh… Uh… Yeah…" Toshiro barely managed to say.

"This painting will be hung in the museum in Buenos Aires. You don't have to attend to the unveiling ceremony, since… well, you should be at work with Ursula Hartmann on your gear."

"Y-yeah… I should…" Toshiro shook his head violently and said towards Adolf, "A truly stunning masterpiece. Thank you…"

"Well, your recognition is all I need right now… It was nice to paint it, I like such challenges."

"Now, Toshiro, go back, I want to know if I have to disown you or not."

"Huh, what?!"

"Kidding, kidding, ohohoho!" Franz laughed gruffly and slammed Toshiro on the back a few times. "Now shoo, everyone awaits the results."

"Will do!"

Toshiro ran down and to the classroom. In front of it, Toshiro found Adolfine.

"Go in, Toshiro, I believe they're finished."

"Adi… Did you see that painting?"

"Yes, Toshiro. Its Adolf's meisterwerk, no doubt about that… Are you content?"

"Bah! I could shower the guy with gold, but I'm too skimpy right now, heheh…"

Toshiro knocked on the door, and after hearing a choir of "Enter!" he entered the room.

"Oberst Edelweiss, please, stand before out desk." Sperrle said and pointed out.

Toshiro stood in the spot that was pointed out, and Sperrle yelled, "Hab acht!"

Toshiro immediately stood into attention. The two Field Marshalls stood beside Sperrle as he started his monologue.

"Oberst Toshiro Lucas Edelweiss, this commission certifies that after writing the exam with all answers correct, you have hereby cleared your officers training in flying colors and in accordance with all the requirements."

Sperrle put his hand forward and said, "Congratulations, Oberst."

Toshiro grabbed his hand and shook it saying, "Thank you, Herr Lehrer."

Kesselring and Keitel also gave him ago at hand shaking, and afterwards, Sperrle gave Toshiro a paper.

"This is a certificate that you've finished your training. Frame it or something…"

Toshiro took it and said, "Okay, sure!"

"Now, go eat some supper in Adolfine's home, since it's your last. Tomorrow at 0900, you'll be taken from the military airport to Rosario." Keitel explained. "Understood, Oberst?"

"Jawohl, Herr Generalfeldmarschall!"

"Dismissed." Keitel said.

Toshiro nodded and he went out of the room.

"And? And?" Adolfine nabbed him just as the door barely closed behind him.

Toshiro just pulled the certificate before her with a wide grin. She ogled it, and mumbled, "A perfect score… Jelly as hell…"

"Heheh, what, did you have 39 out of 40?"

"Yes…"

"Awww… I beat you… Sorry, Adi."

"Meh… Come on, let's eat supper. I believe you know what will happen tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. What we discussed about this morning…"

"Onwards then…"

They stopped before the front lobby.

"Hey, Helga, give me that package I left."

"Sure thing, Adolfine."

Toshiro looked curiously as Helga gave Adolfine a rectangular, slim package.

"Thanks, Helga. Bye!"

"Bye, Adolfine. And goodbye, Toshiro. The past two weeks and a bit were fun."

"Yeah… I'll miss you a bit, Helga."

"Me too…"

"Hey, want a hug?"

"C-Can I? B-But you have a fiancé…"

"Yoshika has nothing against a friendly hug…"

"Well, okay…" Helga mumbled and stepped forward from behind her counter.

Toshiro grabbed her and lifted her from the ground.

"Waaaah!" Helga screamed. "N-Not so fast!"

"Hey, I want you to remember this, heheh…"

"Well, okay…" Helga murmured and embraced him. "Woooah… You sure feel nice…"

"Every girl told me that… Oh, crap! I didn't say goodbye to Inge…"

"Did you call?" Inge's voice sounded suddenly from the stairs. "C-Can I have the same treatment as Helga?"

"Suuuure! I like to hug beautiful women, hahaha!"

"Yaaay! Helga, move over!"

"Okay, okay…" Helga slipped out of Toshiro's grasps and went to her spot behind the counter. Inge immediately jumped into Toshiro's arms and hugged him.

"Heeehee, I'm hugging a movie star…"

"Just don't try to kiss me…"

"Awww… I was going to…"

"Well, maybe a quick peck on the cheek won't do any difference…"

Inge immediately went to action, and gave him two quick pecks on both cheeks.

"Now I'm satisfied. Goodbye, Toshiro."

"Bye, Inge. It was fun to eat dinner with you for the past two weeks."

"Heh… Likewise…" Inge said and dropped down on the floor. "Now I have to run back!" She shouted and ran up the stairs.

"Finished with the pleasantries, Toshiro?" Adolfine asked.

"Probably…"

"Then let's go home." She said and gave him the package. "It's your little request fulfilled."

Toshiro knocked in the middle of the package, and heard the sound of glass.

"Ah, thanks, Adolfine."

They returned home. Toshiro undressed himself, and ripped open the package. The frame was made to spec, containing everything Toshiro wanted, just as he wanted. He placed it in his chest and went down. Supper went on normally, but after taking a shower, Adolfine peered out of her bedroom, dressed in nothing but a black laced bra and fitting panties and she dragged him inside. She immediately kissed him passionately before Toshiro could protest. She threw him on her bed and pounced on him.

"Adolfine, hold on! I know that we want to, but…"

Toshiro was immediately silenced with Adolfine's hand.

"But we can, Toshiro… That was what Yoshika said to me on the phone… We can do it one more time, and this is the perfect time, since you'll be in Rosario for the next few days, and probably never return to my home…"

She took of her hand off Toshiro's lips.

"I see… So that's why you were so red while talking to her… So you have some shame left in you…"

"She surprised me… But… Enough with the small talk, Toshiro… Let's do it…"

_I should carry Yoshika on my hands to Helvetia for what she's doing for me… Thanks, Yoshika… And now, time to relieve that sexual tension!_

* * *

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	14. Chapter 14 - Going North

Chapter 14 – Going North

_Aaaaand we did it again… Gods… Did Yoshika tell her to fuck me so hard my dick had almost fallen off? She was like a wild beast released from her chains… And now… Dawwww! She's still sleeping… Her mouth is slightly opened and she is breathing lightly. She looks really beautiful and cute at the same time right now… Not to mention the qualities of her body are a sight for sore eyes…_

_"__I really should stop letting all the girls and women you drill sleep with you afterwards… Sheesh, you're too spoiled…"_

_"__Oh come on, Yuki… Find a bit of compassion for me in your millennium old heart…"_

_"__Hmmmm… I know I should help you and all but… I'm really on the fence… I should be loyal to you as your familiar, but the part of me that is indubitably a woman simply screams "Yoshika is the only one! Let him burn!"… I really am at a loss towards Yoshika's liberal approach towards sexual matters…"_

_"__Then why not leave me be and I'll straighten things out with Yoshika afterwards?"_

_"__If I'd let you go alone with your coital shenanigans, I probably couldn't face Yoshika afterwards…"_

_"__Oh come on, Yuki… At least with those I already did it…"_

_"__What?"_

_"__Well, I could be a little bit more… frisky… Like Adolfine right now – she literally screams to wake her up with a kiss on those lips!"_

_"__Ugggggghh… Arrrrgggh… I dooooon't knooow…"_

_"__Yuuuuukiiii… Pleeeeaaaase…"_

_"__Oh okay, okay! But you will report EVERY bigger _incident_ to Yoshika, NO EXCUSES!"_

_"__Yes ma'am!"_

_"__Now, wake her up, I want to see her reaction…"_

_"__Hah, I knew it! Time?"_

_"__Six."_

_"__Woah, shit! She never woke up so late!"_

_"__I wonder why…"_

_"__Eheheh…"_

Toshiro slowly scuttled towards Adolfine. He gently took her chin in three fingers and kissed her on the lips. She moaned slightly and while embracing him, she returned the kiss. After they finished, she looked surprised at him and said asked, "Did we receive a dispensation from Yuki or what?"

"You could say so… But I'll have to confess everything to Yoshika and beg for her forgiveness…"

"Oh, I think she will absolve you of your sins… A man has his needs…"

"I didn't have any for all my puberty… But suddenly, Shirley comes in hammered like a rivet and boom – like a damn landslide! A whole new urge awakens in me. And Yoshika made it worse by her above-average willingness to _serve_ me…"

"Maybe that's a way to keep you by her side?"

"No, she doesn't use sex as… hmm… a barter good… She admitted it to me on her own once. She just wants us both not to have unnecessary tension and… well, she does her job perfectly… Or maybe she just repays me for my _metaphysical_ love with raw, physical one…"

"I wonder what the exchange rate is…" Adolfine mumbled.

"A whole eternity of love for a whole eternity of sex… That's probably it…"

"Plan to continue on after death, do you, huh?"

"Why not…"

"But there is something after death, right?"

"Yeah. To each his own."

"Maybe I should visit church more often…?"

"Just be a good person, Adi. Nothing more is needed…"

"Really?"

"Yeah, really… Of course, you should confess your sins and go to mass from time to time…"

"Thanks for the tip, Toshiro." Adolfine said with a smile.

"Just don't go on spreading that knowledge…"

"Nah… I'm far from preaching… So… We should get out of bed… I have to go to work as normal…"

"Then who will drive me to the airfield?"

"Joachim, who else? You can stay here until he picks you up. Just lock the door and give him the keys. And be sure to take everything with you, because I don't want to fly 300 kilometers just to give you some damn underwear…"

"Yeah, yeah…"

"And stop looking at my tits already, sheesh…"

"I'm charging my batteries… It's not like I'll get to bone Ursula, right?"

"Toshiro Edelweiss, you're absolutely, positively, absotively, right down to the last bone of your body, a hopeless pervert…"

"Heh… Come on, today I'll make the breakfast."

"Incredible how much can giving your body to a man change in him…"

"Oh shut up… It's because this will be our last breakfast together here…"

"Ah, okay… Then be my guest, I'll go train a bit…"

"Any preferences towards breakfast?"

"Make the usual, I want to see if it's true that men are the better cooks."

"Dunno… I have a feeling nobody will take care of a sausage better than you…" Toshiro said with a sly smile.

"Heheheh… Okay, go out already…"

"Suddenly feeling shameful, Adi?"

"No, I just don't want to pump your dick for nothing with a reverse striptease."

"Ugh… Pragmatic as always…" Toshiro sighed and put his bath towel around his waist. "At least I don't have such a problem, heheh…"

"Just get dressed for breakfast…"

"Okay, okay…"

Toshiro went out of Adolfine's room and dressed himself. Afterwards he warmed up the house and started making breakfast. He looked through the cupboards, and he found some powdered paprika and curcuma, which he added to the eggs. He also found a dried chili pepper, but after almost burning his tongue on it, he decided to only add a wee little bit. Just as he was finishing, Adolfine popped up in the kitchen, with her nose moving visibly.

"Hmm… Something smells good…"

"I decided to experiment… We either eat happy I'll have to make you a sandwich. Now, you should know the drill – plates et cetera…"

"Sure, sure…"

After the tableware was set, they started eating.

"Mmmmmwwwooo! Dewishush!" Adolfine mumbled with her mouth full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, it's doesn't suit a General…"

Adolfine swallowed her food and said, "Toshiro, it's so spicy and good, what did you add?"

"Paprika, curcuma and chili."

"Oh right, I have those, but I always feared to experiment… I have to admit, this is way better than what I made… But you know, why should I bother… It's just me eating it… For the past two years…" She sighed and picked up some scrambled eggs.

"Don't beat yourself down, Adi… Maybe try to reactivate your social life? I saw some nice bars on the Sundays I was off…"

"Maybe… But I'll have to be extra sure, because if I fall onto another landmine… I may not take it..."

"Call me when that happens. I'll travel half the world and beat up the son of a bitch that dared to hurt you." Toshiro said with a cold voice, but he quickly smiled and said, "And maybe console you, if you know what I mean…"

"Heh, thanks… You're one of the few men I can fully trust…"

"That sounded a bit… androphobic…"

"Naaaah, I'm not like that… I work with all the male officers in the OKW and I get along perfectly well. But that's work…"

"Ah, whatever, let's stop dwelling on this topic. Say, what will be my accommodation in Rosario?"

"You will be given a guest room in the main building. It's a slightly better standard than the room I gave you, since it has a private bathroom, but not much more."

"Aaaah, at least that. Well, good to hear I won't be bunking together with some Karl and a dozen of others…"

"Not wanting to lower your standards, huh?"

"I just want a normal bed and some privacy, that's all. You never saw my room in Yokosuka, right?"

"Nope. I never got as far as to snoop around the Miyafuji Clinic."

"Basically – tatami mat flooring, a low hung table, a desk, a cupboard and one bed for Yoshika and me. And that's all… Nothing luxurious, but we have some privacy. Well, _some_ since… well, let's say the acoustics are rather… bad in the house…"

"Bad acoustics you say… Heehee… Well, good that I built a solid house with an almost soundproof bedroom…"

"You wouldn't need it if you weren't screaming as if I was flailing you…"

"Oh come on… I'm stuck up – bad. I go wild – bad…" Adolfine pouted.

"I'm kidding… Nice to know you from that side, heh…"

"Um… I suppose I should thank you for the compliment, but it almost sounds like an insult from your perverted mouth…"

They looked at each other with pouty faces, but the first one to crack was Adolfine. She had to drink a whole lot of juice to stop coughing.

"Heh… Okay, I had a laugh, now its work time. Now YOU do the dishes."

"Jawohl!" Toshiro shouted with a smirk.

As Adolfine was going upstairs, Toshiro washed the dishes as quick as (un)humanly possible and he waited just behind the corner beside the stairs for her.

"Toshiro, where are…"

Toshiro swiped her mid-sentence. She swayed back a bit in his arms, as if they were dancing flamenco right now.

"My, Toshiro… You're really going full speed ahead today… But you don't have to kiss me, you know? We will meet again."

"We will? Ah, damn, such an occasion wasted…"

"Who said it's going to be wasted…" Adolfine said with an alluring voice and kissed Toshiro on the lips briefly. "Now, let go or I'll be late to work." She said and stuffed the house keys into his pocket.

"Okay, go. I'll be a good boy, heheh… When will I see you again anyway?"

"September 1st, I believe…"

"What's then?"

"The sixth anniversary of the beginning of the Second Neuroi war. It's a state holiday, so Ursula and some of her underlings and superiors from Rosario will also come. And your uncle will probably try to do something with you then…"

"Like what?"

"I don't know… Bye, Toshiro. We'll see each other the 1st!"

"Sure, bye, Adi!"

Adolfine put on her shoes and went out of the house.

_"__So, Toshiro…"_

_"__What, Yuki?"_

_"__If you would pick an alternative to Yoshika from all the girls you've defiled, which would be the best for you?"_

_"__And why are you asking?"_

_"__Just curious…"_

_"__As a mistress, I think Shirley would be the best. She really goes 200% in bed… But for a life partner I would have to choose Adi… She has a nice personality, steady income, hot body, she knows how to tend a house, not mentioning she owns one already, and well… she's not a prude… And she's older than me, which mysteriously satisfies my small Oedipus complex…"_

_"__You have one?"_

_"__I mean, jokingly… My mother was tending to me for all my life, so it's probably normal that I have some feeling towards her…"_

_"__I didn't know you from that side… Ehh… You should really spend more time with your mother, despite her being physically dead…"_

_"__Well, I didn't do it yesterday because… Questions would be asked…"_

_"__Aaah… So after each… intercourse with anyone beside Yoshika you lie low and don't visit Akiko, right?"_

_"__Yeah…"_

_"__And you call yourself a man…"_

_"__My mother can be very scary when she's angry…"_

_"__Oh Toshiro… Eighteen years old, but still a boy at heart… It's the truth that boys will be boys…"_

_"__And rambling snakes will be rambling snakes… You don't know how it is to have a mother, right?"_

_"__Not quite… I had a mother, but you know, she was a wild snake and such… Not exactly the intelligent and kind person Akiko is..."_

_"__I can imagine… Eh, I need to get my stuff packed and wait for my ride…"_

_"__I hope you really won't hit on Ursula, right?"_

_"__Yuki, please… You want Erica to kill me?"_

_"__Oh yeah… That could have some nasty consequences... Let's leave the topic of your love conquests…"_

Toshiro went up to his room and packed everything that was lying around into the chest. He took the heavy piece of luggage with him and wandered down to the living room. After browsing through the record collection of Adolfine, he picked up a collection with a yellow cover, depicting the famous Liberian trombone player, Glenn Miller, who went missing December last year. Toshiro placed the first record on the turntable and after the first tunes of _American Patrol_ sounded, he slammed down on the couch and immersed himself in the sounds of the trombone.

Sometime during the sixth record, he heard a knock on the door. He stopped the gramophone and put the record in its place. He went to the door and opened it, only to see the familiar face of Joachim.

"Good morning, Herr Oberst!" He saluted briskly. "I'm here to take you to the airfield. Any luggage?"

"Only that chest, but I'll take it myself."

"As you wish, Herr Oberst."

Toshiro took the chest and went out. He closed both the door and the gate and gave the keys to Joachim. Adolfine's assistant was of course driving her Kübelwagen, so Toshiro was comfortable inside.

On the way, Toshiro asked, "Tell me one thing – do you like Adolfine?"

"Uh… Um… How should I understand the question, Herr Oberst?" Joachim asked nervously.

"I mean, do you like her as a woman?"

"As… A… W-woman… Uh… Who wouldn't…?"

"Don't beat around the bush…"

"Yes, Herr Oberst, I like the Generalmajor as a woman."

"Maybe you should start your advances towards her?"

"Me? Oh… No, please… I'm just her assistant and… There's that thing from the past…"

"Moritz? She's over it."

"So you know about Moritz, Herr Oberst? And… How is the Generalmajor _over it_?"

"Simple. She doesn't give a flying fuck anymore. I already have a fiancé, but maybe you should look around some skirts, hmm?"

"But… The Generalmajor…"

"What?"

"My rank and… how would it look like…"

"Oh please… My fiancé was a still a Sergeant slightly over a month ago, and I didn't hear any complaints about the difference in our ranks, whether I was an Oberfeldwebel, a Major or now an Oberst, and who knows, maybe I'll soon be a Generalmajor, although now, Yoshika is a Leutnant of the reserves."

"So… If I would start… advancing towards the Generalmajor… that wouldn't be a problem?"

"Not from my point of view it wouldn't. Just try it. Or you know what… That's an order! When I return here on the 1st, you will give me a report about your progress with Adolfine. If she just dumps you on day one, well, tough luck."

"It's worth a try… But, Herr Oberst, if worst comes to worst, I'll just tell I was given such an order by you."

"Suuuuuuure. At least Adi won't rip your head off…"

"Adi… Does… Does the Generalmajor already let herself being called like that?"

"Only by me for now, so don't try anything funny or…" Toshiro made a gesture as if he was wringing out a hanging rag with one hand.

Joachim looked as if he was in pain.

"I understand… Well, we're here…"

Toshiro looked forward and saw a rather big airfield, still under construction apparently. The guards let them through without them having to stop, and Toshiro was driven directly beside the well-known to him Ju-52.

"Mission complete."

"Dismissed." Toshiro said and extended his hand toward Joachim. "Toshiro."

"Uh… Joachim." He said a bit shyly and shook Toshiro's hand.

"See, you already broke the ice with me, hahaha! Have a nice day, future Romeo!"

"Haha, I'll try!"

Toshiro took his chest and entered the plane. The co-pilot closed the door behind him and went to the cockpit. Toshiro sat on the bench and relaxed, preparing for an hour-long trip to Rosario.

* * *

**Hentai Ouji reference ahoy! Although it's probable that only people that used [rori] as their source of subs will get it ;)**

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	15. Chapter 15 - A gun or three

**New pics in my profile's gallery section!**

* * *

Chapter 15 – A gun or three

"Herr Oberst, we are approaching Rosario. You should check out the view." A pilot said through the intercom.

Toshiro turned around to the window and looked through it. He saw a small city, but to the east of it, in the middle of a jungle, he saw a gigantic military complex. Everything was paved in concrete, except for some kind of testing grounds in the east. Toshiro saw a big building in the middle, and smaller ones scattered in even distance between each other, and also some big hangars, more apart from the rest of the buildings. The north of the facility was a big airstrip, leading to a few enormous hangars.

He sat down back on the bench.

"Well, I'll be damned… Nice place…"

The plane approached for landing. It landed smoothly and taxied to exactly _two _girls standing before a Kübelwagen, both blondes, but each distinct from the other. The co-pilot shot out of the cockpit, opened the door and unfolded the stairs.

"Thanks…" Toshiro mumbled, took his chest and went outside.

Out of the two blonde girls, Toshiro knew one, and only the fact that she was wearing a lab coat under a trench coat and glasses distinguished her from her twin-sister, Erica.

"Hi, Ursula. I see that my uncle must have cut your budget, since the welcome committee is a bit… lacking…"

"Heehee… No, we're just busy you know… But nonetheless, I'm happy to see you again, in less… morbid circumstances… Um… Could you bend over a bit?"

"Suuuuure…" Toshiro said uncertainly and bowed down.

Swiftly, Ursula landed a kiss on his left cheek.

"I'm glad to see you too, Ursula! What did I do to deserve such a passionate greeting?"

"Heehee… Well, I recently returned from Belgica, and the three there persuaded me to pass on this kiss."

"Ah… Well thanks. How are they?"

"Fine. It's rather peaceful, almost serene, despite it being so close to Karlsland. And of course they all miss you dearly."

"I'll probably have to visit them after this is over…" Toshiro said and looked to the small Karlslander at her side. "And who is your little friend?"

The blonde Karlslander saluted and started reciting. "Oberfeldwebel Helma Lennarts, Erprobungskommando 131 "Halb" 3. Staffel!"

"Age?" Toshiro asked.

"Thirteen, date of birth, October 10, 1931!"

"Well, that was fast… Ursula, is that the famous Helma that's flying my Striker prototypes."

"Yes, Toshiro, the very same. Although with some help, since she's a bit… small as you see…"

"Nothing will stop me from helping to develop better ways of making the mechanized air infantry even better!" Helma shouted seriously.

"Are you always so serious?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes sir! We Witches are the pride of the Wehrmacht, and have to behave accordingly! And you sir, should cut your hair! Your haircut is of length not suiting soldier fighting for Karlsland!"

"And you're totally not afraid that I'm the nephew of the Kaiser and I could make _things_ happen to you?"

"No sir! Your status should make you refrain of undertaking such actions, because it could damage the reputation of the Kaiser and the whole nation of Karlsland in extension!"

_Oh you little…_

Toshiro kneeled down before Helma and grabbed her cheeks.

"Bwut are you bewing, Beww Obewt?! Bit dobnt but you to bew bings bike bis! You hab a biance!"

"If you stop being a miniaturized Trude on dope, I'll stop bothering you. You should really behave according to your age…"

"Twube? You been Hawbban Bawbown? Nebew! Bees my bow mobew!"

"Then I won't stop pulling your cheeks, simple."

"Bwut… Bwut…"

"Trude is strict towards everyone, but I know her motivation. And you just look like some pretentious kid to me, who thinks that her shit doesn't stink."

Helma looked a bit to the side silently. Toshiro released her cheeks and rubbed them a few times.

"Now… My name is Toshiro, but even deaf people probably heard about me…" Toshiro said while extending his hands towards Helma.

"H-Helma… A proud Karlslander, a test pilot and soldier…" She said confidently and grabbed his hand. "But that hair really doesn't suit you… And I'm saying this as a girl…"

"Thanks for the advice, but I'll keep it longer for a wee little bit. While we're at it, if there's something you want to bitch on about me, let it rip now."

"Hmmm… Not much… Only your size is a bother, because I have to use support while flying the prototypes designated for you… But I'm actually proud to be here with you as a person… An Oberst, with a fiancé and the nephew of the Kaiser… And…" She poked at the Knight's Cross he was wearing. "… with such a decoration, and a three-digit kill count starting with a two… And a movie star…"

"Just don't tell me you're my groupie or something…"

"Um… Uh… I'm member number seven…"

"Jesus… Well, I met member no. 2…"

"Inge? Heh… How nice…"

"Um… You two…" Toshiro heard a silent voice from his side.

"Hmm? What is it, Ursula?"

"You can talk later, we have to move on in case a plane wants to land…"

"Ah, okay."

"Um, Toshiro…"

"What is it, Helma?"

"Can I ride shotgun?"

"Heheheh… Sure you can. It will be a bit tight in the back with that chest, but if I can make you happy…"

"Thanks…" Helma said with a small blush on her cheeks, which could easily be mistaken with frostbite during such weather.

They boarded the Kubelwagen and Ursula drove towards the big building in the middle.

"The hangars you saw at the end of the runway are mostly used to assemble prototype planes. Only one of them is an actual hangar for normal planes."

"Anything interesting in there?"

"Heehee, of course! This is the technological mother lode of Neue Karlsland after all!"

"Then I look forward to a proper tour."

Then, Ursula pointed out to the large hangars to the south.

"Those are the prototype panzer assembly hangars. If there's something worth showing, it surely is that place."

"Another reason to be giddy…"

"And that small building is my workplace." Ursula said and pointed out to a small building, the size of a one story house, surrounded by a red circle in which nothing else was present.

"Huh? Why is it so detached?"

"Well… Prototypes tend to explode in my face…" Ursula said a bit ashamed.

"Oh… Well, prototypes are prototypes…"

"Yes… I'm still working on your new Striker, but I think a day or two and it will be ready for a test flight."

"And I will do it!" Helma shouted with pride.

"I don't know, Helma…" Ursula said with a bit of uncertainty. "Toshiro is here, and I bet he wants to test it himself…"

"But… But it's my job to test the new Striker prototypes! I have been trained to do so, and I can't allow Toshiro to undertake any risks…"

Toshiro's hand started moving towards Helma, as he was making a pincer motion with his fingers.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop!" Helma shouted and guarded her cheeks.

Toshiro moved his hands back.

"Maybe I can give you the privilege of the first run, but I'll get the first flight, okay? I can't let such a sweet girl get bruised because of something failed, right?"

"Mmmmm… Okay… Still better than nothing…"

"How nice of you two to get along already, heeehee..." Ursula giggled and continued on. "The weapon testing labs are near the panzer testing field, so we basically missed it. And, Toshiro, that's the place you should visit today. Your primary arsenal upgrade is ready, with a secondary one pending final tests. But for now, let's get you to your room. And you have to get to know Gisele and Christa."

"Who are they?"

"The first one is the receptionist in the main building, and the second one was testing your cannons."

"Was?"

"Well… The latest prototype under development is a bit tricky to handle… But let's not go ahead… We're here already."

Ursula stopped before the building and killed the engine. Toshiro took his chest and jumped out of the car. They entered through the door. Toshiro could hear the banging of a single typewriter, and he saw the one doing so.

There was a young witch with short, bob cut black hair, torturing a typewriter behind a desk, which was standing beside a staircase. From the place she was sitting, she also had limited view of the side corridors.

Ursula, Helma and Toshiro approached her, with no reaction from her side. From up close, Toshiro could see that the girl was rather young, and rather _well built._

"Gisele…" Ursula said, trying to be louder than the typewriter.

Nothing. Gisele continued to type furiously.

Ursula looked hopelessly at Toshiro and nodded her head towards Gisele. Toshiro simply took the typewriter from her, watching as she was still trying to type for a few seconds.

"Huh? Where's my typewriter…" She wondered and looked up. "Wah! A guest! Herr Oberst, give me back my typewriter please!"

"After we go through the pleasantries…"

"Ah, okay… Welcome to the Rosario Experimentales Hochwissenschaft Forschungsinstitut, Herr Oberst. I'm Unterfeldwebel Gisele Maurer, and I'm the receptionist here. And I believe you are Oberst Toshiro Edelweiss, right?"

"Yup. In the flesh."

Gisele looked under her desk and pulled out something. It was single key with a number plate attached. 404 was the number stamped on it.

"This is the key to your room, Herr Oberst." Gisele continued with her polite tone. Your room is in the east wing, fourth floor, access through this staircase beside me. Dinner is served at 1500, and the mess hall is also in the east wing, but on the ground floor. What else… I wish you a pleasant stay, and now please give me back my typewriter!"

"Okay, here you go." Toshiro said and returned to heavy machine to its place, picking up the key beforehand.

"Thank you, Herr Oberst. I have to quickly finish typing what I'm typing, or Professor Von Braun will kill me!" Gisele shouted and started banging the keys again.

"Come on, Toshiro…" Ursula sighed. "When she starts typing, it's no helping for her…"

"You don't have to walk up with me. You can go back to working on my Striker."

"Ah… Yes, I forgot you're a grown man, heehee… Okay then… I'll go back to the car, and wait for you. Drop your chest in the room, look around it and let's go see your new gun. Helme, come. You can go with us."

"Yes ma'am!" Helma yelled and followed Ursula.

_What an energetic girl… Fourth floor, east wing… Whatever, time to move my ass..._

Toshiro moved up the stairs, passing on some people on the way. He finally wound up on the fourth floor and in the east wing. The room was on the left wall, fifth counting from the staircase. Toshiro inserted the key and turned it. The door opened with ease.

_Well, not baaad! Halfway between the hotel room in the Ritz and the room in Adi's home… I like!_

Toshiro dumped his chest under the wall and fell on the bed.

_Hmm… Not too soft, not too hard… This I like too… Well, I won't linger any longer, or Ursula might get mad._

Toshiro ran down the stairs, past the still-typing Gisele, and out of the building. Ursula and Helma were waiting for him in the car, this time the latter sitting in the back.

As Toshiro sat on his seat, he asked, "Not wanting to sit on this seat, Helma?"

"No. I realized that rank seniority goes over my personal wishes, and that I should give my favorite place to a man worthy of sitting there."

"Jeez, whatever… But…" Toshiro made a pause and smiled wryly. "…you could sit on my lap…"

Helma's cheeks burned and her eyes almost exploded as she heard this.

"R-R-R-R-really? Would it be o-o-o-o-okay to h-h-h-have s-s-such a p-p-p-privilege?!

Toshiro looked at Ursula and she shrugged.

"Sure. I want to please my fan number seven, right?"

"Oh… But I don't know… Your fiancé…"

"Please, Helma… As long as it's just a friendly sit-over, she won't mind. And I'm serious."

"Be sure to decide quickly, because it's unwise to do it while I'm driving." Ursula chimed in.

After making some weird noises and rubbing her knees together, Helma quickly squeezed between the front seats and sat on Toshiro's lap with a smile.

"Hah! Now I'm surely better than Inge!"

"Depends…"

"Huh?"

"She gave me a kiss on _both _cheeks."

Helma was simply shocked hearing that.

"N-N-N-No, I won't kiss you…"

"But Inge didn't get something different…"

"Huh? What?!"

Toshiro removed her side cap and started patting her on the head. Helma relaxed visibly and her face was now full of glee.

Ursula smiled and drove on to a small building before the tank testing grounds.

"Helma, we're here." Ursula said.

"Oh, already?" She asked. "Awwww…"

"Hey, I patted your head for over a minute. And wipe that drool from your face…" Toshiro sighed.

Helma's face flushed as she started wiping her face with the sleeve of her coat. Toshiro opened the door and Helma quickly disembarked from the car, with Toshiro slowly following her, as she in turn followed Ursula. He saw that another Kübelwagen was parked before the building.

They entered a small workshop the size of Ursula's. The smell of grease and gunpowder filled the air as Toshiro went off through the small entry corridor. Then, he entered the main room, which was filled with various cannon parts. He could see a sliding door in the far part of the room, probably going out to the east. He also saw a big construction made out of concrete with a cannon mounted inside it.

Then he saw two people in the room – a rather tall, dark haired witch in her late teens and an older man, the businessman type, with his slowly graying hair swept back.

"Toshiro, this is Herr Alfried Felix Alwyn Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach."

The man approached Toshiro with his hand extended.

"It's nice to finally see the intended user of my weapons in person, hah! Pleased to meet you, Oberst Edelweis!"

"I think the feeling is mutual… So, I guess you are a representative of Friedrich Krupp AG?"

"Well, not only a representative… I'm the CEO..." Krupp told him with a theatrical whisper.

"Oh, heh… Sorry, but I'm not knowledgeable about everything going on in the country…"

"Even your dear uncle needs advisors… Ah, how was the cannon my company produced for you?"

"My first one? Nice, very nice… But I sent it to my cousin in Cyrenaica once I got my replacement…"

"Yes… Yes… It's was a bitter failure that I didn't get the contract for your upgrade… But now, I procured TWO models, haha!"

"Indeed, so I heard… But both Krupp? That's nice…"

"I bet you're dying to see them, am I right?"

"Not exactly dying but… whatever…" Toshiro said and turned his head around. "Ursula, who's that?"

"That's Leutnant Christa Waffenman. She's part of the team adapting the guns from Herr Krupp to your use, and the sole test shooter."

"Pleased to meet you, Herr Oberst." She says only raising her hand from the distance.

"Huh, not going to shake my hand?"

"I'd rather not…" She answered reluctantly.

Toshiro looked baffled at Ursula but he got an answer immediately.

"She has an abnormally strong Super Strength magic, but it's also hard to control…"

"I see… Well, fuck this shit…" Toshiro said and approached Christa. "Hand, now."

"Mhhhmmm… I don't know…"

"Come on, I can take it…"

'If you insist, Herr Oberst…"

As soon as she squeezed his hand, her St. Bernard dog ears manifested, and Toshiro felt as if his hand was stuck in a vice. He countered by using his own strength magic and the pain stopped.

"Oh... And you didn't even use your magic…"

"I am, but they just don't manifest like in case of 99.99% of the Witches, heheh…"

"Oh… Did it hurt?"

"Only a bit. Nothing compared to having my hand partially de-gloved."

"Ouch… That must have hurt…"

"Yeaaaaah… Like hell… Anyways, since you were working on my new guns, why don't you present them to me?"

"I'll be glad." She answered with a small smile and approached one of the tables covered with cloth.

She uncovered it, and Toshiro saw a brand new cannon under it, with a can shaped muzzle break.

"This, Herr Oberst, is the 8.8 cm NaK 45/2 L/71 ME. As you can deduce, the caliber of the gun has been upped, and the barrel length was accommodated to it. But, since you're obviously not blind, you can see that the body of the gun was shortened considerably and the mag well moved forward. This is thanks to us developing an experimental top-opened breech. But we couldn't shorten the gun just like that, since it would create an imbalance, so in the back, there's a counterweight and a gyroscopic stabilizer mounted, thanks to which the balance is almost ideal, although the guns still tends to dive a bit."

"A top-loaded breech… A gyroscopic stabilizer… My… You really aren't dwindling fingers here…"

"Heheh, thank you, Herr Oberst."

"Why not test it?" Krupp asked anxiously.

"That's why we're here for. Although Christa said the gun behaves nicely, she has a bit different… parameters than Toshiro." Ursula said and pressed a big green button on the panel behind her. The door in the far side of the room started opening. Christa reached under the table and pulled out a full mag.

"Still using ABCBC-HE rounds." She said. "The penetration improved at least fifty percent, and the explosive charge is about 20% bigger, compared to the 75 mm."

"Nice to hear." Toshiro said and picked up the cannon from the table. "Ooof, it's a bit heavy but… the balance is really good! Mag please?"

"Nu-uh, safety regulations…" Christa said and pointed out a sign.

"No shooting before the red line… And that would be where?"

"The red line is the guide rail for the door mechanism. There's a small roof extending after it, so we don't have to worry about atmospheric conditions."

"And what about that gun mounted in that concrete contraption?"

"Let's not change the subject for now. Please proceed past the red line, Herr Oberst."

"Okay, okay…"

Toshiro walked past the red line. He could see a few tank wrecks, mostly Pz I's and Pz II's, decommissioned, rusting, and full of holes. He heard a few knocks on the side of his gun and then, Christa placed a mag on the top. Toshiro popped it in and ran the autoloader. He heard the familiar sound of the pneumatic mechanism.

"Fire away, Toshiro." Ursula said and plugged her ears with her fingers.

Toshiro aimed at one of the Panzer II's in the far. He pressed the trigger button and the weapon kicked like a mule, spewing an enormous fire from the barrel. But despite the fireworks and deafening sound in the semi-enclosed space, the projectile hit the target, and exploded.

"Niiiice!" Toshiro shouted.

"You can fire off the rest!" Christa shouted back.

"Okay!"

Toshiro fired off the four remaining shells and he turned around under the cannon, since the long barrel didn't enable him to turn around where he stood.

"How was it?" Krupp asked.

"Magnificent! I can't wait to test it on a live target!"

"Haha, that's the spirit! The investors will surely want to hear that!"

"Now, Toshiro, place the cannon where it belongs and… let's go to the other one…"

"Don't tell me…"

"You really are sharp, heehee…"

Toshiro went and placed the cannon on the table and he returned to the gun mounted in the concrete contraption.

"This is a prototype construction based on a serial production gun. For now it's called the 12.8 cm NjK 82 L/55, adapted off the Neuroijäger Tiger Ausf. B. As you can see, it is a rather robust construction... It has no autoloader because… well… Look at this yourself." Christa turned around and pulled out something from a locker behind her. It was a projectile and a cartridge, both separated from each other. From what Toshiro could guestimate, the projectile was about a half meter long itself, and the cartridge was almost a meter long. Christa approached Toshiro and placed both in his hands.

"Wow, the projectile is damn heavy…"

"It should be… A 128 millimeter Pangergranate 43, APCBC-HE as you can guess. Weighing 28.3 kilograms with 595 grams of explosives inside, this projectile has an even bigger penetration than the 88 you just fired. Even with your aptitude, making one-piece ammunition would overcomplicate everything about the gun, so we decided to use the original two-piece ammunition."

"I see… But how do I carry the ammunition into battle then?"

"We've made a special vest for this occasion…" Ursula said. "Christa, if you please…"

Christa turned around and she pulled out a Feldgrau vest with two ammo containers attached on to the back.

"This is a vest to be worn when engaging into combat with the gun. An eight slot, spring loaded cartridge container directly on the back, and an eight slot double row container on top of it meant for the projectiles, everything designed with you in mind, Herr Oberst."

Toshiro put it on and wiggled a bit around.

"Well, it fits nicely and the weight is evenly distributed… What about a new rack for the 88?"

"We postponed it until everything here was checked." Ursula said. "So I guess you want to fire the big gun now?"

"Yeah…"

"Christa, please give Toshiro the cannon."

"Roger."

"Toshiro, give me the projectile and cartridge, I'll load it into the container so you'll have a go at how it works."

Toshiro turned around and gave Ursula the heavy munitions.

"Umm… If you'd kneel…" She huffed

"Ah, sure…"

Toshiro knelt and Ursula went behind him.

"The projectile is twist-secured, Toshiro, so after sliding one in, you have to turn it right to secure it, or back left to make it loose." Ursula explained and inserted the projectile into its container. "The cartridges are spring-loaded, so you have to push the little square part on the upper-left of each cartridge slot to release it." Ursula said and pushed the cartridge down with an audible click. "There you go."

"Okay, thanks, I got it."

In the meantime, Christa has liberated the cannon from its shackles. The gun was basically an orange-yellow frame mounted to the breech of the cannon. He saw three hydro-pneumatic recoil buffers in a neat row atop of the breech, and an ammo tray behind it. He could see a handle on the side, which was used to operate the breech mechanism, and one to hold to while firing. A shoulder pad, scope and IR emitter were mounted to the frame, although the last was now on top of the gun.

Christa approached Toshiro and handed him over the gun.

"Hooooly shit heavy… And a tad on the unbalanced side…"

"Those aren't the only problems…" Ursula mumbled. "The recoil is violent despite the muzzle break, three recoil buffers and the fact that the gun recoils on sliders… Christa got roughed up after she fired the first test shot, so after that we performed ballistic tests while the gun was fixed to that concrete thing you see…"

"Then I'll be extra careful, okay?"

"Oh I hope…"

Toshiro went behind the red line and he pulled the lever that opened the breech. He inserted the projectile and pushed it further down with the cartridge. After closing the breech manually, Toshiro started aiming. He took aim at the Pz I at the far end of the shooting range. He braced himself, pumping his magic towards his Super Strength. After he pressed the trigger, the bang almost deafened him and it pushed him two meters back. A little dizzy he opened the breech, seeing the enormous spent shell flying to the ground, still smoking heavily.

_Note to self – use Sacred Flame when shooting this thing._

"The recoil is barely tolerable, Ursula…"

"But it's a feat that you've managed to shoot it and still be on your legs, Toshiro."

"I envy you, Herr Oberst…" Christa mumbled.

"Heheh…" Toshiro said and looked through the scope. "It seems that Pz I just got ripped apart…"

"Pretty much the defining feature of the gun, heehee…" Ursula giggled.

"So, Oberst, how is it? Is the money I invested in this project worth it?" Krupp asked.

"Yeah, although I doubt I'll use this in normal battle. Maybe as some kind of special support weapon, but not on a daily basis… But yeah, it's indeed worth the money invested."

"Ah, hearing it from the horse's mouth makes me easy. Farewell then, Oberst, I have to go back to Buenos Aires to give a report to my investors."

"Nice to meet a man whose company provides the means to defend humanity. Aufwiedersehen, Herr Krupp."

"I'll go and drive you to the plane…" Christa said and followed Krupp.

"So, what now?"

"Now, we wait, Toshiro."

"Oh? Do you have a surprise for me?"

"Heehee, yes. But let's wait for Herr Krupp to leave…"

"Okay…"

"You can take off the vest now by the way."

"Ah, I'm still wearing it… Where can I dump the cannon by the way?"

"Place it on a free table, I'll have Christa do a checkup later."

Toshiro placed the gun on the table and the vest beside it.

"Well, I think the two are gone so…" Ursula reached one of the crates and pulled out a gun he heard of but never actually saw in person. "This is an MG 151/20/3 made by the Waffenfabrik Mauser AG. It has the same caliber as the Type 99 only a bit shorter bullet cartridge, which we countered using a stronger propellant. We dumped the cooling system, since the gun cools itself quite nicely. We retained the reflex sights, and we ever added a detachable scope. We also added a stock and under mounted hand grip so you can actually use the sights. You'll have seven types of ammunition to your disposal, but I urge you to use the Minengeschosspatrone 151."

"Why?"

"Because the Neuroi seems to be _very_ fragile when shot with those. I wished we could have delivered you this cannon while you were still in Romagna, but we had shortages, and you haven't exactly complained about the Type 99…"

"Nah… It was nice. So, I'll be able to squeeze off a few rounds now?"

"Yes, I was hoping for it." Ursula said and bent over the crate again and pulled out an ammo drum. "Hundred round ammo belt inside."

"So I guess my new ammo backpack will be also modified accordingly, right?"

"Yes. Now, let's go to the red line."

Toshiro walked forward and crossed the red line. He looked at the label on the drum.

_Minengeschosspatrone 151 ohne L'Spur, 100 stück, 18.6 gram Nitropenta Fühlung… __No tracer, boo…_

Toshiro popped in the drum and pulled the charging handle. He brought up the gun to eye level.

"You can press that little button below the scope for it to spring in place." Ursula said.

Toshiro did so and the scope popped in before the reflex sight, providing a small degree of magnification but limiting his field of view at the same time. He just squeezed the trigger and fired away.

_Hmmm… It fires much faster, and the bullets also seem to move a bit more vigorously…_

Despite not having tracers, the bullets provided a nice light show, especially since the clouds came over the institute. After a few second he could only hear a dry click sound.

"Well, fun's over."

"How do you like it?"

"I'm sold."

"Then please place the gun in the crate with the drum detached, and I'll give you something.

"Kay."

Toshiro approached the crate from which Ursula pulled out the gun and placed it back inside after detaching the drum. Ursula rummaged a cupboard and pulled out a stack of documents, thicker than two Bibles.

"Manuals, Toshiro. I heard you like them."

"Indeed. As a mechanic, I like to know how stuff works, and since reliability is my pet peeve, I want to know how I can prevent… hmm… accidents…" Toshiro said with a sly smile.

"Are you perhaps implying something?" Ursula asked with a pouty face.

"I don't know… Maybe…"

"Don't worry, Toshiro. We are _extra _careful after your… _adventures_…"

"Well, I'll take your word for it. You're the cute twin sister of my ersatz sister after all, haha!"

"Heehee… To be honest, we always wanted a little brother… But you are kind of off the charts, hahaha!"

"Heh… So… What now?"

"Go and read all this I gave you. Take your time. Then you can eat dinner. And read some more. And you can eat supper later. And read some more. And go to sleep."

"I somehow hoped for an extended tour…"

"Toshirooo… Please, you've had enough fun for today. But tomorrow, hoho, I promise you that you won't know where to go first!"

"Oh? Why so?"

"Well, as I said, your new Striker will be ready for its first flight, and… we'll be testing a tank tomorrow…"

"A tank… Hmmm… You have my attention… Okay, I'll follow your guidelines on "How to spend a day forcefully bound to your room." Toshiro said while taking the papers from Ursula.

"I hope you're not mad at me…"

"Nah… If I were, I would just ignore you and walk around on my own…"

"Heh… Have a good day, Toshiro. I really, really promise you'll have soooooo much fun tomorrow."

"If not, I'll spank you, literally."

"I think my bum is safe, heehee…"

Toshiro went on foot to the main building. After passing the rabidly typing Gisele he landed in his room. After a round of reading, Toshiro decided to go to the mess hall. After a bit of searching, he found it.

It was almost identical to the one in the OKW HQ, but it was a bit smaller and the walls weren't painted white but yellow, giving off a more cozy feeling. Immediately, Toshiro saw Helma and Ursula in the line, which was already twenty people long. Around the half of the line, he saw Christa. Making a disgruntled expression must have been enough, because Helma waved him in vigorously. Toshiro approached her.

"Toshiro, should I get you food so you don't have to stand in line?"

"If it's not a bother for you…"

"It would be an honor for me, as a member of your fan club and as a soldier of the Wehrmacht!"

"Heheh… Okay, you can do it."

"Jawohl!"

"Please, Toshiro, take a seat for us then." Ursula said with a smile.

"Sure, Ursula."

Toshiro looked around and saw a free spot. He moved towards it and sat down. After only two minutes, Helma came in with two platters, one of which she placed before Toshiro and said, "Bitte Sehr!"

"Thanks. This reminds me of Buenos Aires, you know?"

"How does it remind you of Buenos Aires, Toshiro?"

"Inge was also getting food for me, since she was always in line before I even got to the mess hall, heh…"

"Haha, and now I'm the one fetching you food! So much win!" Helma cheered and pumped her fist in the air.

"Yeah… Let's wait for Ursula now."

Another minute passed, and Ursula was at the table with them.

"Now, it's totally like in Buenos Aires, with two girls assisting me at dinner, heheh…"

"And who were the other two?" Ursula asked curiously.

"Adolfine and Inge."

"The Generalmajor must really like you, right?"

"I treat her like she's my aunt, and although she didn't say it, she probably treats me like her nephew or some distant relative. I don't blame her…"

"Well, half of the Wehrmacht heard about her unfortunate relationship… How is she in those matters now, if I may ask?"

"A-Okay. I even made some… arrangements…"

"Hmmm?"

"I'll tell you if it's successful. Male solidarity, heheh…"

"Ah well, it doesn't concern us anyway, right, Helma? You don't even look around for boys yourself."

"T-T-That's somewhat true… But boys aren't my concern right now! Now, I have to work hard for the sake of my country! Intersexual relations can be postponed towards after the war!"

"You really are like a smaller Trude…" Toshiro sighed and started eating.

Afterwards, Toshiro resumed his reading session, up until supper. After supper, during which Toshiro spotted Einstein eating toast, he read some more, and hit the hay after testing out his bathrooms shower.

* * *

**I guess I made a little gamble by including Ursula's excursion from the upcoming Operation Victory Arrow first episode, based only on one PV, but whatever…**

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	16. Chapter 16 - Glory be unity

Chapter 16 – Glory be unity

Toshiro woke up and took a quick glance around the room. It was still dark as hell, but he used Yuki's powers to enhance his vision. He looked through the window and saw the whole eastern part of the complex, all the hangars, buildings, the tank test field.

_Wow… This is so impressive… There must be millions of Reichsmarken pumped into this place…_

Suddenly an explosion lit the night. The windows in the building in the center of the red ring fell out all without exception.

_Holy shit! That's Ursula's building!_

Toshiro dressed himself in a split second, and jumped out of his window. Running with increased speed and diluted time, a mere mortal would just see him appear in point A and suddenly materialize in point B. He jumped through the window frame inside of the room full of black smoke.

"Ursula! Where are you!?"

"_Hack… Cough… _Here… But wait a second!"

Suddenly Toshiro heard a sound above him and the smoke slowly started dissipating. Toshiro found Ursula sitting down on the floor, who had her face totally black from soot, not to mention her stainless lab coat looked like a chimney-sweepers uniform.

After a few coughs she said.

"Toshiro, where are you, I don't see you…"

Toshiro smiled and took of the soot-covered glasses of her nose.

"Oh, there you are!" She said surprised and took the glasses from him. "It's nice of you to come to help me, but this is an almost daily occurrence, so you don't need to rush here every time you see an explosion…"

"I was concerned you know…" Toshiro pouted.

"Heheh… I suppose I should have told it to you earlier… I'm sorry for troubling you…"

"Well, at least nothing happened to you… But what are you doing at this hour here? Shouldn't you be counting sheep?"

"I woke up just half an hour ago and… well, I do like to do my work straight from the morning. As for what I'm doing… just look at the table."

Toshiro turned around and looked for the table. And then, once he saw what was lying on it, he just rushed towards it.

It was a Striker Unit painted black with red trimming on its swept wings, and the usual Karlslander and edelweiss insignia. The fuselage had two enormous engines mounted in them, as well as two smaller ones on the wing tips.

"This is your new Striker, Toshiro. It has two Heinkel HeS 70 engines, developed especially for this occasion. They also have a special feature… If you press a button on the new FFG model we already made, liquid ether will be injected in the jet stream, effectively increasing the power output by, what I project, fifty percent. Also, the two miniature BMW 004S engines can be steered from the FFG to tighten your maneuvers, or help dodging incoming fire. We roughly calculated that you can go Mach 3 in this Striker…"

"How fast?!"

"Heehee, I knew you'd like that number… Of course that's a rough estimate…"

"So, when can I fly this puppy?"

"The representatives of all the aircraft companies partaking in this project, that is Messerschmitt, Junkers, Heinkel, BMW and Focke-Wulf have been invited for noon today, so I'd better get to work…"

"Shit… But… What will it be named then, if five companies are doing this?!"

"BMW is actually indifferent, because they only delivered the miniature engines, but the rest… Heinkel takes pride in the main engines, Messerschmitt in the airframe, Junkers in the fuselage and Focke-Wulf in the rest on the mechanics… Maybe you can knock some sense into them? They've been quarrelling for a week already…"

"I'll try… Buuuut… Maybe I could help you now, huh? At least lending you my reflexes and shield, so you won't look like a piece of coal by noon, heheh…"

"Oh, I guess you could help me in a more sophisticated way… Here, I'll teach you how to use the calibration instruments…"

"Anything different from what I used?"

"Trust me, Toshiro, this is another league… We had to make modifications to the instruments so they could get the readings from your new Striker…"

"Morning!" Someone suddenly cheered from behind them. "What?! You here already?!"

Toshiro turned around and saw the shocked Helma standing before him.

"Yeah, I'm an early bird. And what are you doing here?"

"Well, I've heard the explosion, and I came in for duty. But I would come earlier if I hadn't misplaced my pan…" Helma stopped mid-sentence with a red face.

"Your panties? Are you Erica?"

"Even a perfect example of a Karlslander soldier has her flaws… Anyway, I hope you didn't want to steal my moment of fame, right?"

"I was just concerned about Ursula since… well, she didn't explain her bizarre rituals to me…"

"For which I apologized. Hmmm… Now that I have the both of you here, we can go 300%!" Ursula shouted with a flame in her eyes.

A few hours later, Ursula said, "Yes, this should be it… And we didn't have any explosions… Toshiro, you're like a lucky charm!"

"Heheh… But why don't we go to breakfast now? I mean the officials will be here in a few hours and the three of us didn't eat."

As if to underline Toshiro's statement, their stomachs growled in unison. They looked at each other in surprise and laughed out heartily. Afterwards they went to eat breakfast, during which a handsome looking man in a lab coat, which was thrown over a Heer uniform approached them.

"I see that the pride of the nation is eating cold cuts with one of the best Striker researchers and her faithful test pilot?"

"Um, do we know each other… Herr… Oberst if I recognize the insignia under the coat correctly?"

"Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun, a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah, so you are the one that helped build Sanya's Fliegerhammer?"

"I am the one. So, how do you like this spring of knowledge?"

"So far not bad. Ursula is progressing with my new Striker before the official test flight today."

"Ah, wunderbar. But I have some business with you, Oberst."

"Oh?"

"If you could follow me, I want you to do something for me…"

"Hmmm… I don't know… Ursula wanted to perform the first run of the new Striker…"

"We can wait for you, Toshiro. If Professor von Braun wants something, you should do it, trust me."

"Ah, okay… Lead the way…"

Toshiro followed him to the room 311. Upon entering, he could see a room worthy of a king.

"Do you like the interior decoration?" A new voice asked him.

Toshiro looked closer, and he saw a bit of gray hair peering over the one of the chairs. A man well known in the scientific world raised himself from the chair and approached him

"By your expression, I can deduce you know me, right?" The man asked.

"Yes, Professor Einstein. Only someone who was hiding under a rock for the last thirty years wouldn't know it…"

"Well, being as intelligent as you are, you should know me… Did Wernher tell you what your visit in this room is all about?"

"Noooo…"

"Good. You'll have your intelligence tested today."

"Uh… Why bother? I have an IQ of 150 according to the Stanford-Binet scale…"

"We actually got hold of that test of yours from the IFN and… It was actually graded wrong…" Von Braun said.

"Huh, what?"

"It was graded wrong. You actually have different IQ level, but… let's not jump the gun. We, as scientists, want to rectify this error, so we have a standardized Stanford-Binet test with us. Fill it out and release us from the doubt. Also, this test will be submitted to the Wehrmacht archives, so…"

"Okay, I get it. Give me a pen or something and let's get this over with…"

Toshiro was given the test and a pencil. After thirty six minutes he finished. He gave the test to the professors, and they quickly evaluated it.

"We have reached a verdict." Einstein said. "Verflucht (damn)…"

"Is it that bad? I'm a dunce after all?"

"Hah, you'd wish!" Von Braun said. "You've reached a score of 175! You're smarter than the both of us!"

"Really?" Toshiro asked doubtful. "You're not pulling my leg you two?"

"No." Einstein answered. "But tell me one thing… Do you plan to use that brain of yours towards… scientific purposes?"

"Yes, of course. After the war I'm going to college. Theoretical physics probably."

"Hah, my boy!" Einstein shouted and gave him a pat on the back. "Uncle Albert is proud of you!"

"Heheheheh, if you were my uncle, I would pop from sheer pride…"

"By the way, do you know what IQ your father had?"

"No… Can you tell me?"

"175."

"Incredible…" Toshiro murmured.

"Like father, like son…" Von Braun said. "Okay, go to your friends and boast around a bit."

"Actually, I have a question… Can I get hydrogen and C3 in this base?"

"There should be enough hydrogen for you to fill a zeppelin with it, and enough C3 to raze the base." Von Braun said. "Why ask?"

"Uh, just a wild idea… Thank you for this occasion, now I'll go."

"We'll be watching the flight." Von Braun said.

"Thanks!"

_Did they just test my IQ just of petty jealousy? I hope not…_

Toshiro exited the room and subsequently the building in high spirits. After arriving in Ursula's dominion, he saw the two boring themselves out of their minds.

"Hey you two, I'm back."

"Oh! We can start the test now!" Helma cheered.

"What were you doing, Toshiro?" Ursula asked.

"It seems that on paper I'm smarter than I was…"

"Elaborate please…"

"It appears my previous IQ test was invalid, and after a quick test my score was rectified."

"And how _smart _are you know?"

"175."

Ursula whistled in admiration.

"Niiiiice… I congratulate you, now you're more intelligent than me, heehee…"

"I am? Wait, I was actually less intelligent than you?"

"Hmmm, yeeees… Last I know my IQ is 170."

"Well, we're not that much apart... But let's not dispute about our brains, what about the Striker?"

"Ah yes! Helma, prepare the test cradle!"

"Jawohl!"

Toshiro saw as she ran to a shape covered with cloth, which she now pulled off. It was a metal cradle, bolted down to the concrete floor. From what Toshiro could see, it had a seat for the test pilot and rails to strap down the Striker Unit too. Helma then ran to the wall and uncovered a massive metal door, unveiling a hole in the wall. She then ran to the table with the Striker, took it and placed it in the cradle. After fastening it down to the rails, she entered the Striker.

"Didn't you forget something?" Ursula said from behind Toshiro.

"Oh, damn… Ursulaaaaa…" Helma flailed her hands slowly.

"Okay, okay, I'm going to give you it…"

Ursula approached Helma and strapped on something to her wrist. It was something akin to his FFG-4, but it was somewhat modified, having two small manipulators added and yet again it was rescaled.

"The FFG-5, Toshiro." Ursula said looking him in the eyes. "The two manipulators control the miniature engines. Using any of them in any direction automatically turns the engines on. They can be move about 45 degrees to both sides horizontal, 30 degrees down and 10 degrees up."

"Damn, I'm jealous now…"

"Now, now, you promised me that you will let me have the first run." Helma said in a lecturing tone. "An officers words should be kept."

"Just start the procedure already…" Toshiro mumbled.

"Heehee…" Ursula giggled. "I have to hook up the gear…"

In a blink of an eye, the telemetry and calibration gear was attached to the Striker.

"…to the Stri… what?" Ursula, along with Helma looked at Toshiro stupefied.

"I just wanted to speed it up and cut the unnecessary dialogue…"

"Ah, okay… You can help me with this too. Just give me the output and I'll regulate the input accordingly."

"Sure thing."

"Helma, start the engines slowly."

"Roger!"

Toshiro could hear the familiar sound of the jet engines coming into idle gear, but this time it was as loud as Trude's Me 262 when she tested it in Romagna. Toshiro looked at the reading and said, "The second engine has a 0.5% power mismatch towards the first one."

Ursula nodded and turned one know just ever so slightly. The reading on Toshiro's device were now perfectly in sync.

"Okay, Helma, now SLOWLY increase the power until we reach maximal output."

"Roger!"

The readings of the instruments increased proportionally to the noise being produced by the Strikers. Toshiro analyzed the reading and was content. At 10000 RPM, half the scale, the engines were already outputting 30 kilonewtons of thrust, but the needles were still moving. They stopped moving when the needles reached 15000 RPM and about 44 kN of thrust, but then Toshiro noticed something. The edges of the hole in the wall were starting to get red.

"Helma! Do you still have some power left in you?!" Ursula asked.

"Yes!"

"Then punch the afterburner!"

"Jawohl!"

Helma used the same switch which was used for mode conversion for the Wotan. The engines sputtered for a split second, but immediately after that they roared like wild beasts, spitting blue flames. Toshiro quickly looked at the readings at saw that they were already at the max, at 20000 RPM and 60 kN of thrust. When he looked at the previously red edges of the hole, they were now white hot. Toshiro then peeked at the temperature gauge, and saw that it was already in the red zone, but moving very slowly. Suddenly, one of the bolts holding the cradle shot out straight from the ground and the cradle itself started shaking.

Toshiro grabbed the cradle as Ursula remotely killed the engines, just as another bolt obtained freedom. The engines slowed down and went to a halt. Toshiro looked at Helma who was sweating heavily and breathing accordingly.

"Heh… How did I do?" She asked.

"Well, you yourself did perfectly well, Helma." Toshiro said. "But Ursula, you probably underestimated the engine a bit, huh?"

"Um… Well… I never pushed them so hard in the test beds… I'm sorry, Helma, you almost got hurt because of me…"

"Really? I didn't feel a thing…"

Ursula went away from them and rummaged in one of the lockers. She returned with a bar of chocolate. Despite being pooped, Helma's eyes sparkled as she saw it.

"This is a reward for my brave test pilot, heehee. Helvetian chocolate, only the best for you, Helma."

"T-Thank you, Ursula!"

She unwrapped it hastily, but just as she was about to bite into it, she looked at Toshiro. She extended her hand with the chocolate to him and asked, "Um… If you'd like, you can have some… Toshiro…"

"Well, don't mind if I do…" Toshiro said with a smile and broke off a bit.

"Um, you too, Ursula…"

"No, thanks. Just watching at what I saw was enough for me…"

"Ah, okay then…" Helma said and simply chomped into the whole bar.

"Toshiro, how was the temperature during the afterburner stage?" Ursula asked.

"It was overheating, albeit very slowly. I guess a full minute of afterburner flight is achievable, given the fact that the air would cool it off a bit."

"This is good to hear…" Ursula mumbled and looked at the hole in the wall. "Wah! Helma did that?!"

"Indeed." Toshiro said.

"Some hot stuff we have here, heehee…"

"Can I get owt ov the Stbwiker now?" Helma asked with her mouth full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Helma. It doesn't suit a soldier of Karlsland, especially one with such a prestigious function as you have." Toshiro said with a caustic voice.

Helma's face reddened immediately.

"Yes, you can get out." Ursula said. "Just be sure not to touch the Striker."

"Kay."

Helma crawled out of the Striker out on the ground. She swayed quite a bit but Toshiro stabilized her in time.

"Woo… Thanks… It really taxed me more than I thought…"

"Maybe I should move you to your room?"

"Ah… No, thanks… I'll just sit down on a chair and I'll get back in form in a few…" Helma said and she slowly trotted to a chair and sat on it.

"So, what now, Ursula? We have a lot of time until the dignitaries arrive."

"We should do some last checkups before they arrive. Just in case…"

"Okay…"

* * *

It took them all the time they had, and they almost completely disassembled and reassembled the Striker, but it was now ready. The phone on the wall rang, and Ursula approached it.

"Yes? Yes, I understand." She said.

"Are they here?"

"Yes. Could you help me move the Striker to the runway?"

"Sure. I'll just grab it and we can ride on."

"Oh, can I go too?" Helma asked.

"Sure you can." Ursula answered with a small smile.

They boarded the Kübelwagen and Ursula drove to the end of the runway, where five people were waiting for them beside a Ju 52. Their heads and gazes started wandering all over the place the three were close enough. Ursula stopped right before them and they disembarked.

The five men in coats and fedoras swarmed Toshiro immediately.

"Ah, so this is the Oberst and the fruit of labor of all our companies?" The one that looked the eldest asked.

"Pretty much…" Toshiro answered. "Sorry that I can't shake your hands, but they're somewhat busy…"

"No problem." One of them said and the rest laughed.

"You all seem to be in sync nicely… But I heard there's a little… feud going on…"

The faces of all of them frowned and they distanced themselves from each other.

"Ah, so it's true… What is the problem?"

"Neither of the companies we represent won't back down on how the Striker should be named." One of them said.

"Give me your propositions then, from the left to right, go."

"BMW Ultrajäger I"

"Messerschmitt Me P.1114 _Morgenröte_"

"Junkers EF 135 _Jörmungandr_"

_"__Hey, I like that one!"_

"Heinkel He P.1082 _Kugelblitz_"

"Focke-Wulf P.0310.277-0045"

_Bleh…_

"Well… I see that each name is mutually exclusive… But…" Toshiro made a pause while he thought intensively. "But why don't you form a union or something, since all your companies have worked on the plane together?"

The men looked stumped amongst each other, which was almost like admitting "And it was before our eyes all the time!"

"And what should it be named then, Oberst?" The eldest spoke.

"Hmm…" Toshiro pondered on, moving his finger around in the air as if moving something. "Ah, I know! The Karlslander Vereinte Kampfflugzeugbauer Union!"

_Pfff… Karlslander United Fighter Plane Builder Union… I really have to exercise my brain more…_

The men nodded and mumbled things amongst each other.

"But the Striker name then?"

"Well, since it's a first… KVKU XF-1 would be good I think…"

The men huddled up, murmuring things to each other. Then the eldest one said, "Codename _Edelweiss._"

"Oh, please…"

"No, no. We've all agreed upon it. I just hope our CEO's will be so mindful… Now, why don't you show us what this Striker can do?"

"Ah, I totally forgot about it, hahaha!"

"Toshiro, before you jump into it, there's one function I want to tell you about." Ursula said suddenly.

"Oh?"

"It's a kickstart capability. It's under this safety." Ursula said as she showed it on the FFG she was holding. "Before starting the engine, you simply press it, and a starter engine sucks out magic out of you, enabling the faster heat up of the main engines."

"Nice!" Toshiro cheered as he strapped on the FFG to his wrist. "But now, test time!"

He jumped into the Striker, and he pressed the button. He could hear a violent explosion in the engines but the RPM gauge jumped to 2000 immediately.

"Woah, this works!"

"But use it only if necessary, it can damage the engine if overused."

"Sure thing. So what's the plan for now?"

"Impress the gentlemen, that's all."

The _gentlemen _laughed as if ordered.

Toshiro leaned forward and accelerated. After a hundred meters, he pushed it all and took off. He flied off to the north past the complex and punched it, attaining Mach One in seconds.

_Let's test these miniature engines…_

Toshiro moved both manipulators to the right and it yanked him to the right suddenly.

_Whoa, it works!_

Toshiro then tried left, up and down, much to his amusement. He flew on past Rosario and made a turn for the east. Now, he gave all he had, accelerating like a madman. He reached Mach 2.5 easily without the afterburner, but then, he decided to use it. After a short nudge, he started accelerating violently, watching both the speed gauge and the temperature, he flew yay east way past the complex. The furthest the gauge was right was at 3819 km/h.

_Holy fuck! I went past Mach 3! Hahahaha! Poor Shirley will pop… Ah, I hope I find her one day when I'll have this beauty with me so she can have a go herself… Okay, time to land. That was a tad tiring to be honest…_

Toshiro approached the airfield and landed to the applause of the representative of the newly formed KVKU. The five men took Ursula and started throwing her up. Toshiro laughed aloud, seeing as the baffled and afraid was being thrown up and down repeatedly like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey, Ursula, what now?"

"Go… To… The… Panzer… Hangar… Just… leave the… Striker in… the car!"

"Okay!"

Toshiro jumped out of the Striker and placed it in the car along with the FFG-5.

"Toshiro, I'm so jealous I could pop…" Helma pouted.

"What's keeping you from taking a flight now, huh?" Toshiro said while fluttering his eyebrows.

"Maybe tomorrow, I'm a bit tired…"

"Okay then. Where's the panzer hangar again?"

"Like your standing now it's about 500 meters to your south-west. You definitely won't miss it."

"Ah, okay. Bye then!"

* * *

**The proposed names have been modeled after real designations. The Striker itself is based off nothing, since I couldn't make up my mind lol. But I guess the closest one would be the Me P.1110/II (look for Luft46)**

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	17. Chapter 17 - Unser Panzer

**New vector art in my profile!**

**Also... Hmm... Did you guys and gals ever thought about what would happen if Toshiro would land in the world of a certain Kye? I suggest catching up with Doran Maya's Worldwide Liberation and Return, and if you are as eccentric not to have read the prequels of Toshiro X, you should do that too because... Hmm... Look up my profile and find "Cross World Battle". ;)  
**

**Also, a new community has been created, be sure to look for it!**

**And now, we resume the scheduled broadcast!**

* * *

Chapter 17 – Unser Panzer

Toshiro slowly walked to the panzer hangar. And indeed, once he saw it, he didn't have any doubts he was at the right place, because before the hangar, a King Tiger, Jagdtiger and a Panther tank were to be found in various stages of dismantlement. The front door was closed, so Toshiro had to enter through the small normal door.

Inside, Toshiro found a collection of tanks he would probably never find anywhere else in the world, probably surpassing what Patton had in his base, if not by the sheer volume, then by the diversity.

"Kommen sie, Oberst!" Someone suddenly shouted to him.

Toshiro looked around and he saw a plump man in a Heer uniform, with small round glasses on his nose, waving him in. He was standing before a tank similar to a King Tiger, but it had something different in it. Its cannon barrel was covered, and Toshiro notice some differences like a different suspension and a different exhaust. The tank had the commander's hatch opened, as well as all other possible hatches.

Toshiro approached the man, whose rank insignia proved that he's a Major General.

"What is it, Herr General-Leutnant?" Toshiro asked while saluting.

"You are Oberst Edelweiss, right? My name is Heinrich Ernst Kniepkamp, and I'm the head of the Waffenprüfamt 6. Oh, and please, at ease."

Toshiro loosened up immediately.

"So, good that you're here, Oberst. Firstly, I wanted to congratulate you for choosing the name for the VK 45.03 (H). I personally accepted it as the official name."

"Ah, I almost forgot about that…"

"Secondly, I wanted to give you a tour around our… prototype museum here. I believe Patton has given you a similar tour?"

"Yes sir, indeed. But I believe he had more production tanks than prototypes."

"Well, you won't see a single series produces tank here, hahaha! Follow me."

Now, Toshiro noticed that the tanks were all neatly arranged, according to their weight/armor classes. First up were various self-propelled guns.

The first vehicle they approached was something that looked like a Panzer IV with an open topped turret and a stubby gun mounted.

"This is the Panzer Selbstfahrlafette IVb. It's based on the Panzer IV and it has a 10.5 cm schwere Feldhaubitze mounted. It didn't enter production because, well, the Hummel proved to be better…" Kniepkamp explained.

The next one looked like it's based on the Panzer V _Panther_, but it had a back mounted turret, opened in the back. It also had a weird shielding in the back for the crew.

"This is the Geschützewagen Panther. Sporting a 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze it could have been something for the Neuroi to fear, provided they know such a state of mind, but… unfortunately, we had serious material shortages at the time after the prototype was constructed, and we had to scrap the idea of mass-producing it."

"A shame, it looks like something from another world…"

"Doesn't it? Haha!"

They moved on to another one the vehicles. Toshiro could see some loose similarities of the hull with the King Tiger, but the enormous casemate on top of it deceived him, as well as the freaking long gun.

"The Geschützewagen Tiger. The 17 cm Kanone 72 is… well, we tested it in direct fire mode with armor-piercing shells… A Giant Turtle class Neuroi was split apart, hahahaha!"

"But why didn't I see this in the papers?"

"Ah, well… We had a bit of a crisis back then, and the tank is very resource heavy… We had to shelve the idea…"

"I wonder if Ursula could get that gun and mount it…"

"Forget about it, Oberst… You would use more magic to prevent the recoil from ripping you into shreds than it would be worth…"

"Ah, I understand…"

Then they started touring the light tanks. The first one looked like a micro-Panther.

"The VK 16.02 Leopard was supposed to be a light reconnaissance vehicle, an upgrade to the Pz II Luchs, but it was scrapped because it was absurd to send soldiers in such a poorly armed tank against Neuroi."

The next vehicle looked like a mini-Panther.

"The VK 28.01 was another attempt to spawn a new type of light tanks but despite the up-arming it with a 7.5 cm gun, it was also scrapped due to resource shortages."

The next vehicle was truly almost like a Panther, but with a squished turret.

"We also tried Aufklärungspanzer Panther, simply put a Leopard turret on a normal Panthers hull and with added new cannon. Why it was not introduced into mass production? It's a mystery even to me…"

The next stop were the medium tanks.

Toshiro saw a tank what looked like a slightly smaller Panther tank.

"What you see here is the Panther prototype designed by MAN AG, the VK 30.02 (M). Not much to say truly, as its direct successor is the mass-produced Panzerkampfwagen V."

The next tank looked like some up-armored version of the Panther, with armored mudguards and a bulky turret with a new, muzzle break-less gun mounted.

"This is the proposed successor to the Panther, the Panther II. Not very inventive naming but… well, it's the Wehrmacht, haha! Slightly thicker armor, a big new turret, a slightly more powerful engine and the same gun you were given just recently for your use, only without a muzzle break."

"I see a pattern here… What about that tank with the open hatches back there?"

"You will see later, Oberst. It's a real _bomb _as the young'uns would say. What say you if we skip to the heavy tanks?"

Toshiro looked at the rest of the measly medium tanks and looked at the heavy tanks exposition. He nodded fervently.

"Haha, I knew it! Seeing such steel behemoths will fill the heart of every man with both fear and admiration!"

The first tank Toshiro saw had some features common with the Tiger I, but it also had a weird placed driver hatch and the turret was more forward, not mentioning it was shaped different and had a different, smaller gun mounted.

"This, my dear Oberst, is the VK 36.01 (H), the Tiger I's predecessor. The production was halted because the designers couldn't make a conical gun in time."

"A conical gun?"

"The input caliber of 75 millimeters gets gradually reduced to 55 millimeters along the barrel. Thanks to this the, the speed and thus the penetration of the projectile increase."

"Aaaah… Nice."

The next tank was in Toshiro's vicinity. It had a turret similar to the Tiger I, but it had a slightly different commander's cupola and no toolbox in the back. The turret was way to the front. The back was slanted and had an enormous grill for cooling.

"And this Friederike Porshe's biggest failure, the VK 45.01 (P)."

"I think I've heard the story about it while I was in Africa… In fact I've met her, but it was a rather stormy meeting..."

"Yeeees… This tank is overcomplicated and uses too much copper which is scarce."

"Copper?"

"It has a weird electro-diesel powertrain. One such set used as much copper as the wiring for ten Henschel Tigers. Not to mention it broke down before the Kaiser. Mein Gott… She must have cried her eyes out afterwards…"

"I can imagine…"

"But well, she didn't stop, and she designed the Elephant, an assault gun using as many parts from her Tiger as possible. This time it didn't break apart, and a limited run was sent to the front in Europe."

Toshiro's sights were now filled with a tank very similar to the King Tiger, but just looking at it, Toshiro could judge it was much heavier, probably due to the slightly elongated turret and the same gun he tested yesterday.

"This is the Standardpanzer E 75 designed by Adlerwerke, an up-armored and simplified version of the King Tiger, with a new HL 235 engine, outputting 1200 PS. And as you can see, it uses the same gun as you tested yesterday."

"But I doubt it has the same recoil in that massive turret…"

"Indeed, it doesn't."

"But why is it standing here? Scrapped?"

"Not quite scrapped, it's the only unit produced, and we're on the fence if we should use this, or the one standing over there." Kniepkamp pointed out the tank with the covered gun.

"Ah… And now… What's THIS monster?" Toshiro pointed out an enormous tank.

The tank looked a bit like a box, with tracks almost double the width of the E 75, and massive rounded sides. The turret looked like a small, slang, rectangular pillbox, with a massive gun and a smaller one mounted over it.

"That is the Standardpanzer E 100. 200 millimeters of slant frontal hull armor and 250 millimeters of turret armor. It's a ground battleship basically, especially with that 15 cm cannon, coupled with a coaxial 7.5 cm."

"Why bother with an MG, right?"

"Hah, exactly! The engine is the Maybach NP, churning out 1200 PS, but despite its looks, it's a rather fast tank. But its neighbor… Ohohooo, that's slower than a turtle with arthritis."

The abysmally big tank which only roundness was the front turret part stood like a mountain beside the E 100. It had the same gun as the E 75, but without the muzzle break, but it also had a coaxial cannon. The turret was pushed all the way to the back of the tank, and an enormous engine deck was on front of it, partially shielded with a piece of armor plate. And enormous round fuel tank was hanging on the slant rear of the tank.

"And this is Friederike's pipe dream, to which she put in a lot of money, the Panzerkampfwagen VIII, dubbed by her _Maus_, although I would say _Ratte _is more like it, but that name was already taken…"

"Yeah, nice mouse..."

"It can only go twenty kilometers per hour, and probably only downhill, but it has a similar armor to the E 100. It has a Daimler-Benz 603 A2 engine, which outputs… say, how much do you think is needed to move this behemoth?"

"At 20 km/h? Pffff… 1500?"

"Close, but no cigar. 1750 PS. And of course, Friederike wouldn't be herself is she didn't use her funky electrical engines."

"And that's why it's standing here, right?"

"Precisely, you're learning fast. But she said that it didn't matter, she just wanted to challenge herself."

"Never hurt a woman's ambitions, especially not a witch…"

Toshiro could hear the door being opened behind him just as they were walking towards the assault guns. Both Kniepkamp and he turned around, and they saw a rowdy bunch of four men in Heer uniforms."

"Ah, well, what a shame." Kniepkamp said. "You'll have to grab somebody else some other time, because now, I have an assignment for you."

"Oh?"

"Come, Oberst, to the tank."

They approached the people standing beside the tank. Toshiro recognized one of them.

"Oberleutnant Carius, nice to see you again." Toshiro said in a friendly tone.

Everyone from the group saluted, and only after they heard _at ease_ from Kniepkamp they loosened up.

"It's nice to see you too, Herr M… ah, Herr Oberst now."

"Yeaah, I got promoted, heheh… I see you brought some friends. Are we going to drink or what?"

The three guys around Carius laughed aloud.

"No, you're not here to drink bear, although maybe after… Anyway, did you all get your instructions?"

"Jawohl!" They all shouted in unison.

"Instructions?" Toshiro asked.

"You don't need any, Oberst, since you will be the commander of this lot."

"Huh, what?"

"Well, we thought about placing you as the radioman, but you're the highest ranking officer, so it would look weird." Kniepkamp explained.

"Ugh… So, what is this tank actually?"

"This is the future of our army. The Standardpanzer E 50 Ausf. D. It has a GT104 has turbine, putting out 1300 PS, which at the weight of 60 tons give a rather impressive power-to-weight ratio. It's still not coated with Magerit, but we can skip that for now. We'll also not test the new FG 1500 night vision system. Oberst, could you please uncover the gun? But for God's sake don't hang on it!"

"Yes, yes…"

Toshiro jumped on the hull of the tank and after tugging one string, the cover of the gun fell down on the floor.

"Whaaaaat the…" Toshiro said slowly with his mouth open.

Toshiro saw two thin rails running parallel to each other and shielded by sheets of steel on the circumference in regular intervals, instead of a gun.

"The 2cm EMKwK45 L/400. It super accelerates fifty centimeter long tungsten rods using samarium-neodymium electromagnets. Last we tested it, the projectile penetrated a half meter thick block of Krupp steel from a kilometer, hitting right in the spot that was aimed at, and still having enough energy to cut down a whole line of trees behind in the forest behind the shooting range."

"Uuuuuuh… What is the cannon called by the way? The whole concept?"

"I believe our eggheads called it a coil gun… or was it a rail gun… Something like that. Anyway, it's powered by liquid ether tanks, one being enough to fire ten rods, which is one cassette."

"Ah… Wait, wait… Liquid ether tanks?"

"You don't have to bother about that, right now. Right now what's important, is that you sit under that cupola."

"Yes sir…"

Toshiro jumped on the roof of the turret and slipped inside of the tank. The interior was almost identical to the one of the Tiger, with the exception of the gun. Toshiro looked at it, and saw that it wasn't loaded yet, and he saw some kind of port to insert to liquid ether tanks. The rest of the crew was slowly sliding inside of the tank and taking their places.

"Men, wait… I don't know three of you, care to make some short introduction?"

"Feldwebel Kurt Knispel." The cheerful fellow with a big beard said. "I'll be the gunner today."

"Hauptman Michael Wittmann." The stern radioman said.

"Hauptman Johannes Bölter" The driver with the swept back hair said.

"Well, now I know everyone." Toshiro said and put on his headphones. "Headphones on, men."

The crew silently followed Toshiro's orders. Toshiro peeked out of the turret and saw that the hangar door was opening.

"Okay, driver, engine on!"

"Verstanden."

Toshiro could hear the starter turning the engine and soon the gas turbine awakened with fury. He hid back in the inside and closed the turret hatch. He now noticed that he was sitting on something. He pulled the _something _out from under his butt and looked at it. It was a map of the test course, with circled checkpoints and objectives.

"Okay then, Panzer Vor, take it slow."

The engine rumbled and the tank slowly went forward. After a few second, a thought crossed Toshiro's head.

"Hey, men. Maybe we should sing a song to liven up the atmosphere?"

"And what song would that be?" Wittmann asked.

"Of course the one song which every tanker should know, _Das Panzerlied._"

The guys looked at each other, shrugged and suddenly, Bölter started humming the intro to the song loudly. They were all looking at Toshiro.

"Well… If you want it that way…"

Toshiro waited for the intro to finish, and he started singing.

**Ob's stürmt oder schneit, (In blizzard or storm,)**

**Ob die Sonne uns lacht, (Or in sun warm and bright,)**

**Der Tag glühend heiß (The day hot as hell)**

**Oder eiskalt die Nacht. (Or bone-chilling be the night,)**

**Bestaubt sind die Gesichter, (Our faces may with dust be laid,)**

**Doch froh ist unser Sinn, (But spirits never fade,)**

**Ist unser Sinn; (No, never fade;)**

**Es braust unser Panzer (Relentless, our tank)**

**Im Sturmwind dahin. (Thunders out on a raid.)**

The rest of the tankers looked with admiration at Toshiro, and they all joined in for the second and following stanzas.

**Mit donnernden Motoren, (With engines a-howling,)**

**Geschwind wie der Blitz, (Forward lightning fast,)**

**Dem Feinde entgegen, (We head for the foe,)**

**Im Panzer geschützt. ****(Safe, as we're in armor skinned.)**

**Voraus den Kameraden, (Our comrades still behind us roam;)**

**Im Kampf steh'n wir allein, (We fight the foe alone,)**

**Steh'n wir allein, (Yes, fight alone.)**

**So stoßen wir tief (We stab through the line)**

**In die feindlichen Reihn. (To break the foes backbone.)**

**Wenn vor uns ein feindliches (Whenever the foe)**

**Horde dann erscheint, (May appear in our sight,)**

**Wird Vollgas gegeben (We'll ram throttle full,)**

**Und ran an den Feind! ****(Then we'll humble all his might!)**

**Was gilt denn unser Leben (Of what use is our life if we)**

**Für unsres Reiches Heer? (Our country serve freely?)**

**Ja Reiches Heer? (Yes, serve freely!)**

**Für Karlsland zu sterben (To die for our country,)**

**Ist uns höchste Ehr. ****(Our honour shall be.)**

**Mit Miasma und Strahlen (With miasma and beams,)**

**Hält der Gegner uns auf, (Our foe tries to impede.)**

**Wir lachen darüber (We laugh at his ruses;)**

**Und fahren nicht drauf. ****(We know he'll not suceed.)**

**Und droh'n vor uns Legionen, (And when, in threat, his numbers stand,)**

**Versteckt im gelben Sand, (Half hidden in the sand,)**

**Im gelben Sand, (Yes, in the sand,)**

**Wir suchen uns Wege, (We can find our way)**

**Die keiner sonst fand. (Over much safer land.)**

**Mit Panzern in Land, (With tanks on land)**

**Und Hexen in die Luft (And Witches in the air)**

**Wir antworten schnell, (We respond quickly)**

**Wenn das Vaterland ruft, (to the Fatherlands yell)**

**Die Neuroi Niederlage, (The defeat of the Neuroi)**

**Wird eine Offensichtlichkeit sein, (an obviousness will be)**

**Ja wird es sein! (Yes it will be!)**

**Da wird das Reich siegen, (The Reich will prevail)**

**Und wir überqueren das Rhein. ****(and we willl cross the Rhine)**

**Und läßt uns im Stich (And should at long last,)**

**Einst das treulose Glück, (Fickle Lady Luck leave,)**

**Und kehren wir nicht mehr (And we remain here,)**

**Zur Heimat zurück, (Leaving family to grieve,)**

**Trifft uns die Todesstrahl, (A beam for us destined)**

**Ruft uns das Schicksal ab, (Find us and seal our fate,)**

**Ja Schicksal ab, (Yes, seal our fate,)**

**Dann wird uns der Panzer (Our tank our grave will be)**

**Ein ehernes Grab. (On that final date.)**

"Whew, I always wanted to sing that song in a tank…"

"Then why didn't you sing it in Africa when you had the occasion?" Carius asked

"I only had one Karslander in my crew, it wouldn't feel the same…"

"Ah, I see…"

Toshiro peeked out through the visors in the cupola.

"Okay, driver, drive to the beginning of the straight dirt road and stop there."

"Verstanden."

The driver drove to a marked spot. Toshiro peeked out of the cupola and saw people in lab coats along the way, at every checkpoint he had on the map.

"Driver, full speed ahead through the dirt road and then on the paved road."

"Verstanden."

The tank jumped forward so rapidly that Toshiro had to grab hold of the rim of the cupola. The steel beast powered on, and Toshiro heard the unearthly whiz of the gas turbine engine.

"Herr Oberst, we have a jump ahead." The driver asked

"Then jump."

"Jawohl, brace for impact."

Toshiro grabbed the cupola rim harder as the tank approached the jump. And at approximately 50 km/h they jumped from a small hill. The over sixty ton tank soared briefly above the ground, but when it landed, Toshiro felt as if his stomach found itself down on his feet.

_Ouch… You can't cheat physics…_

"Everyone okay?" Toshiro asked.

After receiving a series of confirmations, Toshiro asked, "Say, driver… Do you think you could slide sideways with this tank?"

"Well… Judging by the mass and power of this tank, I think I could try."

"Then do it when we cross from dirt to pavement."

"Verstanded."

They were quickly approaching the designated spot. Suddenly, the tank swayed from left to right, and it slid for a good few meters, producing sparks from the tracks. Then the tanks straightened out and they continued.

"Okay, now just punch it to the max, we need to see how fast this puppy goes on pavement."

"I'll go as fast as the engine permits me!"

The tank accelerated violently, with even more force than previously. Toshiro could see their next checkpoint already.

"Driver, do you see that shooting range?"

"Yes sir. Is that our destination?"

"Correct."

At the end of the paved part the driver made a turn and drove up to a small bump in the ground.

"So, how fast did we go?"

"Sixty five. I've never driven a tank so big and fast at the same time!"

"Hahaha! Me neither! Okay, loader, prepare the cannon for shooting. Gunner, there are three targets in total, on 500 meters, a kilometer and two, do you see them?"

"Jawohl, clear as day."

Toshiro looked as the cannon was being prepared. First, the loader pulled out an openwork cassette containing half meter tungsten rods of two centimeter diameter, sharpened at the tip. He popped the cassette into its place with an audible click. Then, he pulled out an orange pressurized tank with red warnings scribbled all over it. He attached the valve of the tank to an inlet at the side of the cannon, and a small cloud of blue mist escaped.

"Cannon ready for operation."

"Targets in sight."

Toshiro looked around and saw spare cassettes and tanks in the back of the turret behind him, and a small trunk. He opened it and found binoculars inside, the standard issue Dienstglas of the Wehrmacht.

Toshiro peeked out the cupola and looked at the first of the targets. It was a half meter thick steel block with a target painted on it.

"Prepare to fire." He ordered.

Toshiro looked the gun and he saw that the rails now started sparking and glowing intensely blue.

"Feuer!" He shouted.

The cannon fired with a sound resembling the crack of a whip, but with no recoil or other special effects whatsoever. Looking at the targets direction, Toshiro could only see a cloud of dust where the projectile probably hit, but nothing more. He returned inside the turret.

"You think you hit it?" He asked the gunner.

"Dunno, I shot at the target…"

"Okay, then I'll go and see it myself. Shoot the second and third target when I give you a hand signal."

"Okay, Oberst." The bearded gunner said.

Toshiro took off his headphones and jumped straight to the target in one go. He looked at it, and saw a hole. He looked through at it from an angle and saw could see right through the thick block of steel. Toshiro walked around the target and whistled in admiration as he saw the damage made.

After making a perfectly round entry hole, the tungsten projectile ripped a conical hole in the steel block, leaving an exit hole about twenty centimeters in diameter.

_Nice… I sooooo want to see how this happens!_

Toshiro ran to the second target. He stood a few meters beside it and he raised his hand. He put up his shield and swung his arm down. At the same time he slowed down time a hundred times. He saw as the tungsten rod flew with incredible speed, despite the rest of the world being essentially frozen. He counted slowly.

_Seven… Eight…_

Then the rod passed before him. Toshiro could see the air bubble around it, and it hit the target. After no more than a quarter of a second it exited from the other side in a shower of steel spall, only slightly deformed. The time flow resumed.

_Holy shit… Over eleven thousand meters per second... And my cannons are at most ten times slower…_

Toshiro gave a thumbs up and returned to the tank hastily.

"You've hit both dead in the middle, Knispel."

"Hah, good! Want to take a try at the third one, Oberst?"

"Sure!"

The gunner left his seat and Toshiro sat in his place. He looked through the scope and was amazed.

"Only one dot as a crosshair?" He asked dumbfounded.

"Well, given the ballistic properties of this gun, it's rather perfectly normal…"

"Yeah…"

Toshiro gently pressed the pedal under his right foot and the turret moved. He corrected the gun manually, aligning the dot and the target. Hoping to see the same effect as he read about in the Tigerfibel, he turned the dial on the scope and the magnification level changed. After some fine-tuning, he simply pressed the trigger button. He could barely see it, but he definitely saw that the target was hit.

"Hit confirmed, we can finish this trial." Toshiro said and went to the commander's seat.

After some miscellaneous test, they ended up in the same spot as they started from. Kniepkamp was waiting for them. They disembarked from the tank.

"So, how was it? Herr Oberst, you first?"

"I can't say much… I was just commanding them around."

"Haha, isn't that true! Okay, Bölter?"

"The tank drives like a charm. The eight speed gearbox really helps bring out the most of the absurdly powerful engine."

"Good to hear. I'm not asking you about anything, Wittmann, since you had nothing to report through the radio."

"A shame… But it looks like it's a normal 10 W.S.c radio set…"

"It's a 20 W.S.c in fact. But now, Knispel, I believe you had the most fun?"

"Hah, indeed! God damn it, I never fired such an inconspicuous gun! How can a rod of metal the size of a nightstick penetrate a steel block with such ease?"

"Science, hahaha! And Carius, how was the loading?"

"If I was trained to do it, I could probably manage to reload both the cassette and the tank in fifteen seconds. A witch would probably take half of the time."

"Good, very good! I hope the scientists compile all the data from the tests, and we can start mass producing this tank! The Neuroi are in for something!"

"But I'm still wondering how the ether is being brought in these tanks…" Toshiro mumbled.

"Not today, Oberst. Everyone, you can go wherever you please."

All of them saluted and started walking in different directions.

"Ah, Oberst, could you take the tank to its hangar?" Kniepkamp asked.

"Oh, okay."

Toshiro entered the tank through the drivers hatch. He turned the ignition key and the tank started immediately. After doing a pivot turn he headed straight for the hangar. Being guided by the mechanics, he backed up inside. He turned off the engine and got out.

After getting back to his room, he did some reading again, but then he felt an urge for a number two. He found the toilet, but as soon as he sat on the can, he heard as someone in the stall beside him was agonizing.

"Hey, everything okay?" Toshiro asked.

"Ah… Everything okay just… I have a serious log jam…"

"Well, didn't we all have one…?"

"Yeah… But mine seem to be recurring… And either that or diarrhea."

"Ouch…"

"By the way, I'm Hideo Sasaki."

"A Fusojin here?"

"I'm on an exchange program for guards. There's some Hans right now somewhere in Fuso in my place."

"Ah… I'm Toshiro Edelweiss."

"Woah shit!"

"Hahahaha! Don't worry, we're all equal in the crapper."

"Heh, I guess so…"

After doing his business, Toshiro spotted that it was time for dinner. As usual, Helma took care of him.

"Hey, Ursula, I was riding this new tank today…"

"The E 50? Did you like the gun?"

"Yeah, sure! If I could get that one for my own use…"

"We were thinking about it, but we have to spend some time on adapting it for you… Sorry, we'll probably need until mid-September or so…"

"Ah, snap… But anyway, how does one make ether go into pressurized tanks?"

Ursula made an unsure expression and answered, "I'll show you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay… It seems a bit of a sensitive matter."

"A bit." Ursula answered silently.

After dinner, Toshiro went on a long walk around the whole complex, which took him until supper. After supper, he did some reading and went to sleep.

* * *

**The "EM" part in the designation means "elektromagnetisch". Do I need to explain what that means? Fun fact: Germans were working on railguns during WW2.**

**The GT104 is the imaginary next step in the evolution of the gas turbine intended for the Panther tank.**

**As you may have seen, there's a new stanza in the Panzerlied. I wrote it myself, so don't even think of ripping it off! :3**

**If you've caught that Sasaki reference, you're good. ;)**

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	18. Chapter 18 - I am become Death

Chapter 18 – I am become Death

Toshiro woke up about 0700 and pondered on what to do right now.

_I should get to know how ether gets bottled up… And maybe it's the time to try out my theory… Hmm… Yeah, today should be a good day. But I wonder if I can get the preparations done unnoticed, heheh… What will happen afterwards will definitely not go unnoticed if I succeed…_

He clothed up and walked out of his room. Since this was research facility, the breakfast was served at 0800, so he decided to take a walk beforehand. After running down the stairs, he saw Gisele rummaging through some papers at her workplace.

"So early at work?" Toshiro asked.

"Wah!" Gisele shouted startled. "Oh, it's you, Herr Oberst… I just wanted to look through the papers, because I had a dream that I made some grave mistake… But it seems that everything is okay… Going on a walk so early?"

"Yeah. Normally I'd jog, but it's just too damn cold to do so, and I only have one uniform with long sleeves, so I don't want to sweat it up."

"Rational thinking from you, Herr Oberst…. But a bit lazy too, heehee…"

"Well, I suppose I _should_ order a second uniform and I suppose I _could _wash the one I have on me after exercise but… meh…"

"Have fun walking then."

"Okay, I will."

Toshiro walked out into the brisk and slightly dark morning. He exhaled and saw his breath turning into mist.

_Shit, it's really cold today… Winter is coming…_

Thus, he walked around the base, and he bumped into somebody he knew.

"Hey, Christa!" Toshiro yelled as he saw the dark haired witch in a trench coat walking around aimlessly.

She turned around and waved to him. Toshiro walked up to her.

"Good morning, Herr Oberst… What's up?" She smiled slightly.

"Just taking a walk. How about you?"

"I'm also doing the same. Nothing like some cold air to know you're alive…"

"Can I tag along?" Toshiro wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh, please, if you want…"

"Then I'm inviting myself in, heh…"

* * *

Sometime into the silent walk, Toshiro asked, "So, why can't you control your Super Strength?"

"Oh, it's rather simple… My powers manifested only recently… One could say that until slightly over a year ago, I was a civilian… Do you want to hear the story behind it?"

"I always like a good story, heheh…"

"Heehee, okay. One day, I was working part-time in the bar as a waitress as usual. The patrons were drinking as usual, et cetera. One of them, some mid-ranked officer whose name I don't even remember right now, waves me in. I approach him, and then bam, my ass gets grabbed. And that probably tipped me over that day, because in the morning, I broke my favorite mug. So anyway, I wanted to nudge him with my fist and shrug it off flirtatiously, you know, like this." Christa gave him a bump, and with a coy voice she said, "Oh, please, not so fast…"

"Well, okay, go on, heh." Toshiro chuckled.

"But, well, it seems that it was too much for me, at least subconsciously, because my nudge became a full blown punch which sent him flying through the whole bar."

"Wow… So I'm not the only one flinging civilians through bars…"

"So… After I set him flying, dead silence arose. I was stunned by what happened because, as I said, my powers have been _off _until then. So suddenly, a pair of arms grab my shoulders with an iron clutch and I hear a voice saying "You're coming with us.". I looked around and, oh irony, I saw MP's. They brought me into the OKW for questioning. They couldn't believe that my powers were lying dormant until I turned eighteen, and that today was the day they happened to manifest. So they of course gave me an offer I couldn't refuse, either prison or conscription. I chose the second, because as a military witch, I would be paid much more than as a waitress in some shithole bar. And then I found my knack for being a gunsmith. The modifications to your Type 99 were one of the first I ever made, Herr Oberst."

"Oh really… Then maybe you're the one that filled the cooling system with water and used normal caps instead of blow-offs?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Uhhm… Yeah… Sorry…"

"Meh, bygones and such… But tell me one thing… How does one get promoted being a gunsmith?"

"Heh, that also boggled me, but I guess that the Wehrmacht praises honest work…"She shrugged.

"Probably…"

"Hmm… Herr Oberst?"

"Oh stop "Herr Obersting" me after you've told me the story of your life…"

"Ah, okay then… Um… Toshiro… How do you find the weapons I've adapted for you so far?"

"All are masterpieces, really. But everyone had its shortcomings…"

"I guess you're thinking about the muzzle break of the 7.5, right?"

"Yeah… It was loud as hell, maybe even a bit louder…"

"I made a gamble by taking a muzzle break design from the Steyr Waffenträger proposal… But the recoil was manageable, right?"

"Yeah, it was, I have to admit."

Christa looked at her watch.

"Am I boring you, Christa?" Toshiro asked.

"Oh, no, no, by all means no! It's just that we have to get to the mess hall early if we want to get breakfast soon."

"And is it time already?"

"Yes, let's go."

"Okay."

They both returned to the main building, and as was to be expected, Ursula and Helma were in the front of the line.

"Hi you two." Toshiro said.

"Morning!" Helma cheered. "I guess its breakfast for two now?"

"If you don't mind…"

"Nah, I've never eaten breakfast with Christa, might as well have the first time today."

"Oh I can give you your first time any day…"

"P-P-P-Pervert…" Helma mumbled with her face red.

* * *

At the table, Toshiro couldn't help asking one question.

"Helma, since you know Trude, how about the other two?"

"Frau Wilcke and… Hartmann…"

"Why did you say the family name of the cute Erica as if you'd have acid poured down your throat?"

"Because she's a mess! She's the epitome of unorderly conduct! If I were too pinpoint one single person in the Wehrmacht that should be booted because of that, it would be her!"

"So you know them…" Toshiro sighed while shaking his head.

"Well, yes… I was sent to them while they were in Belgica since there was a stall in the…. uh… XF-1 project, was it… Anyway, after just one day, I was fed up with how she behaved! Lazy! Unorderly! Gluttonous! The total opposite of the paragon of virtue that's her twin sister!"

"Oh, please…" Ursula said with a blush.

"You really must have had a field day with Trude while you were there…"

"Oh yes! Only after one day, I've discovered the atrocious behavior of Oberleutnant Hartmann! Frau Barkhorn and Wilcke are truly saint women for putting up with her for so long!"

"Well, you surely have balls to stand up to your superior just like that… And an ace witch… And a bearer of the Knight's Cross…"

"If something's wrong, then it has to be corrected!"

"And you didn't, even for a second, want to become friends with Erica?"

"That would be like… like… like if a wolf slept with sheep! How would that look like?!"

"Oh, Helma, Helma…" Toshiro sighed. "If you'd knew how Trude feels about Erica… But whatever, I won't dispel your vision of Trude… So, Ursula, you wanted to show me something today…"

"After breakfast, Toshiro…" She responded quietly.

* * *

And after breakfast, Ursula led Toshiro to a door on the top floor, guarded by two men. They both saluted and opened the door for them.

Toshiro found himself in a sterile, white room with a chair in the middle, from which some pipes let to a panel shielded with a steel plate. Under the panel Toshiro could see some inlets and canisters.

He looked at Ursula with a stormy gaze the same second he understood what happens in this room.

"You don't have to look like that at me, Toshiro, but I agree that you must be at least confused after seeing this… apparatus…"

"An explanation would be truly nice…" He said coldly.

"Donating magic to be converted into ether is strictly voluntary and rigorously controlled. One cannot do it more than once a week, and the day the donation is done made a free day for that witch. Also, you get four bars of chocolate and an all-you-can-eat cantina coupon to invigorate oneself. As for the technical aspects… Well, it does sting a bit, but it's a fast process. A tank is filled up in a minute, but on average, a tank is the safety limit for most witches."

"And then you use the ether to make Magerit and power things like the rail gun?"

"Yes. Ether once converted into electricity is very effective, and once crystalized it also gains new properties. Say, Toshiro, want to donate some of your magic?"

"Hmmm…"

"You'll get the chocolate and the coupon, heehee…"

"How much tanks can you hook up at the same time?"

"Only one… Why do you ask?"

"I thought I would give you a months' worth of ether, heheheh…"

"Hmmmm… The buffer tank could withstand long enough for me to fill all the tanks… Okay, we can try, but when I say stop, you stop."

"Of course."

"Okay then, get your coat off, and sit on the chair."

Toshiro threw his coat on a crate and sat on the chair.

"Cold… Ursula, is the chair copper plated as I think it is?" He asked.

"Yes it is, Toshiro." Ursula politely responded.

"Okay, fire up the machinery."

"Firing up in… now!"

Toshiro felt a sensation of electricity in his whole body.

_Time to milk myself dry!_

Toshiro called up the power of the Sacred Flame.

"Woah, the magic siphoning is going way faster than usual!" Ursula shouted surprised. "Okay, Toshiro, stop!"

"Already?" Toshiro said disappointed as the disabled the Sacred Flame.

"Yes, already… Wow… Now help me with the tanks."

Toshiro stood up and started helping Ursula with moving the empty and filled tanks.

"Incredible… Twenty tanks… Simply incredible… You've earned a crate of chocolate and a train wagon of food…"

"I'll take the normal amount, thank you."

Ursula approached a big refrigerator and she pulled out a small packet.

"This is your… hmm… reimbursement. As for the coupon, I'll write it up later."

"I'll eat it with pleasure. Now… Ursula, do you perhaps know of a workshop in this base that's currently unoccupied but fully functional?"

"I think there's one just by the warehouse… Why are you asking?"

"A secret. You'll get to know soon enough if everything goes okay."

"Hmmm… Well all right… Go to Gisele if you want the keys for it…"

"Thanks, Ursula."

Toshiro went to the reception desk, where Gisele was writing something.

"Hey, Gisele."

"Oh, Herr Oberst. What can I help you with?"

"I want the keys to the abandoned workshop beside the warehouse."

"Hmm… I don't know… I didn't receive a disposition…"

Toshiro placed the packet he received from Ursula on the counter.

"Oh, that's…"

"Untouched, still cold."

Gisele pursed her lips while looking uneasy at Toshiro, but she gave in and swiped the chocolate from the desk. She then gave him the key.

"I hope I won't get punished for this…"

"I'll make sure you won't. Thanks! Oh, wait… Where's the warehouse exactly?"

"If you take Ursula's workshop for a vantage point, then it's to the north-east."

"Okay, thanks again!"

Toshiro ran out of the building. After a while he finally arrived before the warehouse, and he already saw the workshop. He opened the door, and immediately after entering the room he closed it shut. He turned on the lights, and he saw a rather well equipped machine shop.

_Perfect…_

He then looked up at the roof, and he saw that the roof could be partially opened.

_Even better!_

Toshiro enabled stealth magic and jumped out on the roof of the workshop. He then made a high jump and landed on the roof of the warehouse. After he found a suitable opening, he descended down.

The first thing he wanted he found it fast. A rather big round pressurized container with a reinforced glass window. He jumped up and placed his finding on the warehouse roof.

_Now I need… So much… Okay, down I go…_

Toshiro had to look around a bit longer but he finally found a whole crate of C3 explosive, which he lifted from the warehouse.

_Cables… Blasting caps… Detonator… Seals…_

After finding what he wanted, he also took a few hydrogen and liquid ether tanks. Thankfully, he also found a few weather balloons. With all this, he descended to the warehouse, hoping he wasn't seen by anybody.

He began with making holes in the container, pulling wires and sealing the space around them so the pressure could be kept. Afterwards he started placing the C3 around inside the container, inserting the blasting caps into it and connecting it to the wires. Then he fastened a valve so he could transfer the hydrogen and the ether from the tanks inside the container. But not now.

_I think I'll stop for now… I don't want this to lie around primed…_

Toshiro looked at all the spools of cable he _procured._

_I hope ten kilometers is enough…_

He exited the warehouse and closed the door.

_It's a bit chilly… Where's my coat? Ah, crap… I left it at that magic siphoning facility… Hurgh…_

Toshiro returned to the main building, where Gisele called him in.

"What is it, Gisele?"

"Ursula said to give you this." She said and pulled out his coat, nicely folded, from under her desk.

"Dawww… How nice of her. Say… Is there a library or something here?"

"Second floor, west wing, second door from the right."

"I should probably write out a pass for ten _thanks_ in advance…"

"Heehee, whatever you wish, Herr Oberst. Ah, one more thing!" She said and gave him a paper. "The coupon for your magic donating."

"Meh, take it too. Don't need it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. If you want to treat me, I'm open for proposals." He smiled.

"O-Okay!"

Toshiro went into the library, and a weird feeling of easiness fell upon him. Seeing the immense amount of books, his heart was at peace.

"Hmm?" He heard somebody.

Toshiro looked around and saw a girl with a childish face, long red hair and glasses donning her face sitting behind a desk. She waved him in.

"Morning." Toshiro said quietly.

"I didn't see you… Who are you?" The girl asked.

"You don't recognize me from the newspapers?" Toshiro asked.

"Hmm…" She pondered and looked as if she was flipping through virtual pages of all the newspapers she saw in her whole life. "Ah, I see it now… Karlslander Abendblatt, August 6, second page. Hmmm… Sorry for your loss, Herr Oberst."

"Impressive…"

"Eidetic memory. I can recall any given thing from my past experiences."

"I've heard of that phenomena… But isn't that… rarer than a square egg?"

"Heh… Yes, it's a really rare gift. Maybe that's why I'm the librarian here?"

"Who knows…?"

"Ah, you probably want to read some of our books, right?"

"Indeed."

"If you want to take them to your room, you need a library card made. But if you want to read them on spot, feel free to browse already."

"I think I'll take the second option for now. But if you want, you can make a card for me…"

"Then all I need is your ID."

Toshiro pulled out his wallet and gave her his ID.

"Okay, you can go browse the books now. I'll remind you to take your ID and library card on when you'll be going out."

"Oh, thanks… Uh…"

"Oberfeldwebel Elisa Tannenzweig."

Toshiro went off. He picked up a stack of books which could as well serve as a substitute for lifts and he began reading.

"Umm…" Toshiro heard beside him suddenly.

"What is it?" Toshiro turned around and saw Elisa beside him.

"I'm taking the liberty of informing you that it will be dinner soon."

"Oh? It's that time already?"

"Yes. You've immersed yourself into reading very much, Herr Oberst."

"You have a very broad selection of books here, some of which I haven't even heard of."

"I'll save these for you, if you want."

"Please do, I'll go eat and return here."

"Nice to see another avid reader, heehee…"

Toshiro went down to the mess hall, and he started eating with his usual entourage.

"So, Toshiro, how is your secret plan going?" Ursula asked.

"First stage complete, all I can tell you…"

"Well, okay… But I really do hope to know the results…"

"Oh you will know, I guarantee, with all my authority, that you will… If it succeeds…"

"I'm looking forward to it then."

"I hope you're not doing some shady experiments involving experiments on animals…" Helma said.

"No, but I could experiment on your cheeks…" Toshiro said with a devilish smile.

"No thanks!"

Toshiro returned to the library and saw Elisa sitting at the place he was sitting before.

"You didn't have to guard the books…"

"Ah, well… I just waited for someone to be here so I can go eat… Can I ask you that favor, Herr Oberst?"

"Why of course. Go stuff yourself full, todays Kartoffelsalat is divine!"

"Heehee, thank you."

Elisa stood up and rushed out of the library. Toshiro took one of the books and sat on Elisa's chair.

And yet another time, he was brought out of his reading trance by Elisa's gentle poking.

"Oh, did I do it again?"

"Heehee..." She giggled slightly while covering her mouth.

_She reminds me of Yoshika somehow… Damn it…_

"You know what… I'll take my books to my room then…"

"I thought about it already. All the books that were on the right stack and the one you're reading are checked out on you, Herr Oberst."

"Truly a genius."

"Nah… I'm only in the 140 range…"

"Still better than most, haha!"

"Remember about your ID." She said with a smile.

"Oh, right…"

Toshiro took the books and went on reading. Time passed on, and in came supper.

"So, Toshiro… Progress report?"

"Nothing changed, I was reading books."

Ursula sighed.

* * *

Toshiro ate supper and returned to his room. He read books until 2300. Then, he simply exited his room through the window. He sneaked inside the workshop and initiated the final phase of the plan.

He pressurized the container and pumped it with ether. It looked like a blue mist, but when Toshiro started injecting the hydrogen, it started glowing.

_Oh shit… This is really happening…_

He then added a bit of his own magic, making the blue color slightly more intensive, and then, a glowing blue sphere was formed, floating inside the container.

_Holy shit…_

Then, he went outside and behind the workshop with the container, which was now glowing like a big nightlight, some hydrogen tanks and three weather balloons. He made another run and took all the cable and the detonator. He combined all the cable into one and attached one end to the main cluster going out from the container. He attached the container to the balloons and started filling them one by one. The third one he had to hold to the ground since the whole contraption wanted to fly. Once it was filled to the brim, he released it.

_"__You've crossed a line you shouldn't cross, Toshiro…"_

_"__You should have protested a bit earlier…"_

_"__Don't worry, Toshiro… I know more than you already…"_

He saw the blue glow slowly dissipating with the distance.

"Boo!" Someone suddenly shouted behind him, poking him in the back.

Toshiro turned around startled and saw Ursula looking at him curiously.

"So, you wanted to experiment with weather balloons? That was it?"

"I suppose you can look, now that I'm only a few steps away from completion… Let's wait until the cable unwinds totally, okay?"

"Okaaay…"

They watched as the cable slowly but surely unraveled. When the last few loops were left, Toshiro bit on the end and attached the wires to the detonator he was hiding.

"Oh, a detonator? Toshiro… I hope this is not something dangerous?"

"I wouldn't know if I didn't try, right?"

Toshiro turned the handle on the side of the detonator a few times. He took a deep breath, and turned the main handle whilst looking up.

At first, he could only see a small blue spark, but then, a violent explosion beyond his wildest imagination occurred. An enormous blue fireball, roughly four kilometers in diameter appeared all of a sudden, lighting up the whole complex instantaneously.

_"__If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky that would be like the splendor of the mighty one... It's a quote by the way."_

"To…To…Toshiro… Wha…What was that… Ho…How…" Ursula tried to complete a sentence but she was visible shaken by what she saw.

"This is what I believe should be called a…"

The flow of time stopped suddenly, and Amaterasu appeared before him.

"Toshiro, Toshiro… What the hell have you done now…?"

"What? I tried to make the world a better place! A weapon simple, efficient and clean, opposite to the one that they are making now!"

"But Toshiro… You could create a time paradox right now… Pure fission nuclear energy is something at least eight decades away, and you've just laid down the cornerstone for that."

"So?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Toshiro… Bombs aside, do you know what could happen now?"

"What?" He asked irritated.

"You saw that magic extracting device, right?"

"Yees…"

"Imagine that people start making power plants operating on a hydrogen-ether mixture. Of course, they're effective as hell, but at what cost? Witches would have to be sapped of their magic, like cows would be milked. Of course in the wealthy countries, the girls would be compensated handsomely, but in the poorer ones… Remember the concentration camps I showed you in Alternate Earth?"

"Don't tell me…"

"Yes, Toshiro. It would be like Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Soviet lagers combined… Or even worse…"

"Oh gods…"

"That's why I have to undertake some precautions. You will forget how you've made the bomb. You'll forget the fact that hydrogen mixed with ether is an efficient energy source, and that when infused with _live_ magic and subdued to enough pressure and temperature at the same time it goes boom handsomely. The materials you've used up to build the bomb will return to their rightful places."

"I agree…" He sighed deeply.

"That's not something you can agree or disagree to, Toshiro… I'm sorry I have to resort to such methods, but…"

"Yes, yes… I understand perfectly…"

"Good. No hard feelings?"

"Heh, what are you, my friend?" Toshiro smirked

"Right, I'm only a goddess, heehee… Okay, Toshiro, time to rectify your little error. Oh, and remember to cover your ears in thirty seconds."

"Loud bang?"

"Very." Amaterasu grinned and disappeared.

The time flow resumed and Toshiro looked at Ursula dumbfounded.

"So, what's it called?" She asked impatiently.

"Uh… What?"

"That!" She shouted and pointed out at the fading explosion.

"That? What is it? Fireworks?" He asked dumbfounded.

"Toshiro… Did you just forget about everything?"

"And everything would be what?"

"This… This is just incredible… What… Where's the detonator?"

"What detonator?"

Ursula looked around Toshiro but couldn't find anything.

"What's going on…? Is this some joke...?"

"Something tells me to cover my ears… Do it, Ursula!"

Ursula quickly covered hear ears, as did Toshiro, but the bang they heard was very loud.

After the ringing in their ears stopped, they heard the alarm going off in the base.

"We should report this, or hell will break loose…" Ursula said. "Can you take me to the building fast?"

"Sure I can!" Toshiro grabbed Ursula and cleared the distance between the workshop and the main building in a few jumps

"Wow that was something… Okay, wait for me, I'll go clear this mess. Go back to your room, it would be good if you'd do it the same way you got out."

"Which is?"

"Through the window."

"Hmmm… Okay…"

Toshiro ran under his window and jumped inside his room. After a few minutes the sirens stopped. After another few minutes, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in." He said.

Ursula came in and sat on the bed beside him.

"I told them it was an experiment with a new type of fireworks, and bullshitted them about optical illusions and such… But seriously, you don't remember _anything_?"

"I only remember the walk with Christa, breakfast, the magic sapping room, the library, dinner, supper and suddenly I'm standing beside you outside."

"Hmm… Weird… I'll get to the bottom of this… I surely will! But for now, good night, Toshiro."

"Good night, Ursula."

Ursula exited the room. Toshiro took a bath and laid down on his bed.

_What happened? Why do I have a leap in my memories? Maybe I'll get to the bottom of this sometime else…_

* * *

**And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]**


	19. Chapter 19 - No nothing

Chapter 19 – No nothing

_Six days have passed since that weird incident. The next day we, that is Ursula and I, were called in by von Braun to give some more explanations, but I honestly replied that I have some kind of amnesia. And everything somehow was swept under the rug. During the past five days I've been reading through the book collection that Elisa was safeguarding in the library, much to her enjoyment. As she said "I'm the most avid reader this library has ever saw, heehee…"_

_Heehee indeed…_

_Also, Ursula, Helma and Christa helped with some last-minute tweaks to my weaponry. The big cannon got a slight improvement with its recoil, but it still kicked like a rabid mustang. My new Striker also got some tweaks, mostly to the afterburner and the cooling. When Helma landed after testing it, she looked like if she saw the face of God._

_Oh, and on the 28__th__, I tried to reach Mio to give her birthday wishes, but she was unreachable, so I sent a card._

_But yesterday, sometime in the afternoon, a knock on my door pulled me out of my reading spree._

"Come in."

The door opened, and surprisingly, Gisele peeked in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Toshiro, but there's a call for you."

_How nice that we went on first-name basis yesterday…_

"Okay, coming!"

Toshiro zipped past Gisele and ran down to her desk. He picked up the receiver and said, "Oberst Edelweiss."

"Hi, Toshiro."

"Ah, Adilein!"

"Jesus fucking Christ, don't make a diminutive of a diminutive!"

"Hehehe, don't worry, nobody probably heard that."

"Well, whatever… I have news of great importance, Toshiro."

"I'm all ears, Toshiro."

"Unternehmen _Nadelkopf _has been greenlit, you are free to act tomorrow at high noon."

"Uh… What?"

"Ah, silly me… That's the codename for the operation you've petitioned for. Your target will be the hive on the north-east of Neue Karlsland, on the border with Amazonia."

"Oh right… I did want to do something with those hives in Amazonia…"

"Just don't get ahead of yourself, Toshiro. If you destroy more than one hive, nobody knows how the Neuroi will react. Even destroying one can have unknown consequences. But… there's a uranium mine in the range of that hive, so the OKW gladly accepted your petition."

_For fucks sake… A uranium mine of all things? Damn it… And why do I have the feeling that I wanted to do something about that?"_

"Okay, Adi, I'll do what I can."

"You'll have some backup waiting for you in case of your… failure, so you can retreat safely…"

"I strongly advise against it. This is already suicidal for me, I don't want anyone else risking their lives."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. I take full responsibility for my actions." Toshiro said with a stern face.

"Oh well…" Adolfine sighed.

"But thanks for your concern, I appreciate it."

"Heehee… So, how is it in Rosario? And how's your new stuff? You've been awfully quiet you know…"

"You haven't been the talkative type during the last week either…" Toshiro mumbled.

"Well, nothing much happened… I mean, something happened but… I won't tell you now or I'll jinx it!"

"Okay, okay…"

_Ha! I guess Joachim is progressing!_

"Well, but anyway, Adi, my new gear is top notch, again. And I had my fun here already. And I've made some new friends."

"Good to hear. Okay, I'm signing out. Remember, noon tomorrow."

"Jawohl. Bye, Adi."

"Bye, T-man."

"I'll kill you…"

"Heehee…"

Toshiro laid down the receiver and saw Gisele behind him.

"How was it?" She asked.

"Not bad. I'll be going out for a mission tomorrow noon."

"Ah, what will it be?"

"I'm going to destroy a Neuroi Hive. Or at least try to."

"Hmmm… Wait, what?" She tilted her head.

"You've heard me, I'll try to destroy a Hive. Alone."

"Isn't that a bit… foolhardy?"

"I have to test my skills and… I have a promotion coming at me, so I might as well speed it up a tad."

"Oh, a promotion… Then you would be… a Generalmajor!"

"Indeed, I would be. The first wizard to obtain such a high rank, and the second magic user in all-time."

* * *

_And now I'm here, in Amaterasu's realm, lying in the warm waters of a lake, floating like a branch. It's the night of the day of my mission._

"Amaterasu?"

"Yes, Toshiro?" The goddess replied, standing on the water beside him.

"What are my chances?"

"Depends on how serious you take this."

"If I take it super serious?"

"The Neuroi won't even get a lock on you and you'll pulverize the Hive."

"Wow, seriously?"

"Yes, Toshiro, seriously. And you should take the words of your friend seriously."

"Which friend and which words?"

"Adi, who else?"

"Ah, that one about not going too far?"

"Yes. If you destroy that one hive, the Neuroi will only tighten their defenses around the remaining one ten times, and after you'd destroy that one too, the Neuroi could probably send an Alpha Hive."

"That bad?!"

"Yes. The Neuroi are very territorial beings, but what I'm telling you is actually secret."

"As almost everything… But won't the Neuroi retaliate?"

"They shouldn't. But as I said, they'll increase the defenses around the other hive in that region by a tenfold."

"Good that you've told me this, because I thought of eradicating the other hive along the way…"

"You wouldn't have time to react, Toshiro. And you probably would be out of magic anyway, trust me on this one."

"Oh, okay… You're the goddess after all… Say… I have a hole in my memory, maybe you could help me fill it?"

"I'm the one that caused it, Toshiro. I won't help you no matter what." Amaterasu said firmly.

"Really? What did I do?"

"Let's say you've used your knowledge a bit too much…"

"If it was necessary, then okay…"

"Toshirooooo!" Akiko's cheerful shout could be heard from the shore.

"Whaaat mooom…?" He shouted back.

"You think you would look better in a black or a silver tuxedo?"

"Are you planning my wedding already? Shit, mom, calm down! I don't even have Yoshika in my vicinity, not to mention that the war doesn't look like it's over!"

"Let your mother have her fun, Toshiro…" Amaterasu said with a soft voice.

"Ah, whatever… I think I'll go with black, mom."

"The next time you pop in I'll think about the invitations!"

"Sure, mom…" He said and sighed quietly.

* * *

Toshiro woke up at 0700 and he went on for a walk. He didn't find anyone at all, so he just made a solo round around the base.

"So today is the day, Toshiro?" Helma asked.

"Indeed it is, Helma."

"I've quadruple checked everything about your Striker, Toshiro." Ursula said. "You don't have to worry about that."

"Thanks, Ursula."

"And I did the same about your weaponry, but I have an uneasy feeling…" Christa said.

"And you're right, Christa. I'm not taking any with me."

The three looked shocked at him.

"W-Why?" Ursula asked.

"I'm taking my magic sword, and that's it. I'm taking off the kiddy gloves for the Neuroi, no more fucking around. I have time-diluting magic, and I have a few sword techniques. And besides, Yoshika destroyed a Hive on her own, how can I be worse, right?"

"Well, she destroyed an abnormally big one…" Helma said.

"Always a fly in the soup…" Toshiro grumbled.

"Proudly throwing them in for the good of the Wehrmacht, heehee…"

"Okay then, I won't be such a riff-raff superhero to destroy an abnormally big Hive but… How many of you have destroyed one, huh? Nobody. And my Yoshika did it, and such a big one as her first!"

"You sure are proud of your fiancé… Well, I don't have a boyfriend yet so I don't know how that feels…" Helma said.

"Hmmm… What do you like, Helma? Besides pounding people into the ground with your moralistic crap."

"Well… I like chocolate parfaits… But you can't get those in Rosario…" She sighed.

"Well, imagine that every time I think about what Yoshika did for me, her friends, all those anonymous sailors and the whole of Venezia and Romagna, I feel the same as if you would feel after eating a chocolate parfait from Paris!"

Helma's eyes widened as she imagined such a scene.

"Weeheee…. That would be nice… B-But as I said, intersexual relations – later!"

"Heheh… In your age, it would be only childish tomfoolery at most…"

"I wouldn't know…"

"Maybe Christa could bring you up in these matters? Or…" Toshiro looked at Ursula with a sly smile.

Ursula responded with a demonic smile of her own.

"Yeees… Ursula will be glad to teach you…" Toshiro rubbed his hands together.

"Oh I will… I will…"

"Oh? Thanks, Ursula! I'll be your most diligent student!" Helma cheered.

"Guhehehehe…" Both Toshiro and Ursula laughed in a creepy fashion.

"You both creep me out…" Christa whispered to Toshiro. "What's the matter?"

"Ursula is probably the biggest theoretician regarding sex in the base." He whispered back.

"Theoretician, huh… I wonder who would be the one with the biggest practical experience…?"

"Me?"

"Oh come on, I doubt it…"

"5 scores, three deflowering's, a foursome and so much intercourse with Yoshika that I already stopped counting."

"Jesus… And I thought that the two guys I did was already being loose… What a Casanova you are…"

"Hey, what are you whispering about?" Ursula joined in to the whispering duo.

"We're talking about your… expertise…"

"Ah… Well, I didn't add anything to my knowledge base but… I think you don't need my help, right, Toshiro?"

"We're always experimenting with Yoshika…"

"Heehee, I always approve of experimenting!"

* * *

After breakfast, Toshiro locked himself in his room.

_"__Yuki, now would be a good time to help me concentrate…"_

_"__Just remember the meditation techniques that Amaterasu taught you, and everything will be okay."_

* * *

The time passed as if moved by the hands of the Allgod itself. Toshiro opened his eyes, feeling light and fresh.

_The time has come to prove my worth…_

Toshiro went down the stairs.

"Good luck, Toshiro, I will be praying for your safe comeback!" Gisele cheered from behind her desk.

"Every bit of help I appreciate, thanks!"

Toshiro exited the building and went to Ursula's workshop. A Launch Unit was waiting for him, with his Striker loaded inside. Christa, Helma and Ursula were waiting for him.

"I disapprove that you're not taking any conventional firearms, but I suppose a magical sword will be good enough…" Christa said. "Hey, could you show me it?"

Toshiro raised his hand above his head and summoned Aganaimaru.

"Now, now… Aren't you overcompensating for something?" Christa asked with a sly smile.

"I assure you, everything is in place down there. European size."

"Hahahaha!" Both Christa and Ursula laughed.

"Toshiro, if you fail, I will stamp you clean into this here concrete with my harsh words!" Helma shouted.

"Yeah, yeah… Just after I've made a sore mess out of your cheeks, heheheh…"

"Good luck, Toshiro. Just remember, don't overdo it with the afterburner." Ursula said as she passed him the FFG.

"I won't, I know the limitations." He said as he strapped the device on.

"Oh and… Stretch your hand out…"

Toshiro stretched his hand out and Ursula placed something on it.

"Oh, transponders? I thought I…" Toshiro checked his ears quickly. "Heh, I forgot I haven't had a transponder in my ear since July…" He said and put them inside his ears.

Toshiro jumped inside of his Striker. He flipped the safety on the FFG and started revving the engine, the traditional way. The whiz of the turbojet engines filled his ears. When he saw that the temperature of the engine was sufficient, he turned around to the girls and gave them a thumbs up. They smiled vividly and gave him back the same gesture.

Toshiro leaned forwards and shot out of the Launch Unit.

_Now, Yuki… Lead me where I need to be…_

After a few minutes of rather calm flight, Toshiro could see the first Neuroi. He calmed himself down, and focused on his goal. Toshiro simply rammed through the Neuroi using his speed and his shield.

_One down…_

As Toshiro went on north, the Neuroi count steadily increased. He cut them down with precise Rending Gales, two or three enemies at the time. By the time he saw the hive in the distance, his kill count was upped by fifty.

_I can see the hive… Yuki, can you pinpoint the core?"_

_"__It's on 1/10__th__ of the height down from the bottom. But… Use the Hebigan, okay?"_

Toshiro enabled the Hebigan, and saw that the cloud forming the hive was gray, with the core totally visible.

_An opening!_

Toshiro enabled the afterburner and rushed forward like wild. Neuroi started sprouting before him in insane numbers, but he started cutting them down in tens using Reppuzans.

When he was in the clear, he saw what he thought he'd see, a humanoid Neuroi.

_Oh no… Not this time…_

Toshiro slowed down the time. He closed in on the Neuroi and grabbed it where its neck should be and resumed the time flow. He pushed the confused Neuroi forward through the cloud.

"No talking! No negotiating! No nothing!" He roared with a demonic voice. "I have had it with your kind!"

The thick clouds dissipated as Toshiro found himself in a space with the core. He rammed the humanoid Neuroi against the core.

"I won't let you deceive me again…"

Toshiro pierced both the Neuroi's core as well as the one of the Hive.

"REPPUZAN!" He roared and charged forward.

The Neuroi shattered instantly, and only a moment later the Hive's core was destroyed. Toshiro shielded himself from the shards and he looked as how the Hive around him disappeared into nothingness in a storm of white, crystalline shards.

"Hey, Toshiro!" Somebody shouted into his transponder.

"Adolfine? Where are you?"

"Look at your six!"

Toshiro looked behind him. At a high altitude, a small plane was flying. Toshiro flew up to it. The door on its side opened, and Adolfine peered out of it, holding a camera in her hands.

"Holy shit, Toshiro! How much did you bag?!"

"Hundred forty one plus the Hive… But what are you doing here by the way?"

"We had to secure some photos of your mission, right? The press will shitting rainbows! And your kill count just went over four hundred, hahahaha!"

"Oh, it did, hah! Nice!"

"Well, anyhow, I'll be going back home now. A plane will come for you the day after tomorrow at about ten. And take all your stuff, you'll be staying with me for the few next days."

"Okay. Till then I suppose?"

"Till then! Holy shit…" Adolfine shook her head and closed the door of the plane.

Toshiro started leaving for Rosario. As he approached for landing, he saw that there's a bunch of people waiting for him already. When he touched down on the runway, he was swarmed by everyone. They lifted him and started throwing him up, carrying him to the main building.

When they let him go, he received a series of congratulations, even from the most notable heads of research. His friends also congratulated him wildly.

* * *

Later that day, the mess hall organized a true feast instead of dinner, and even alcohol was allowed. Today was a day the Rosario Institute was celebrating. In the evening, Toshiro heard the Wehrmachtsbericht.

"20 hours and zero minutes, broadcasting from the OKW, it's time for the Wehrmachtsbericht. Earlier this day, Oberst Toshiro Lucas Edelweiss, in a daring solo mission, has single handedly destroyed a Neuroi Hive on the border of Neue Karlslsland and Amazonia. According to Generalmajor Adolfine Galland, the shot down count of the Oberst in this battle was one hundred forty one, not counting the Hive itself, bringing his total head count to four hundred fifteen, an unprecedented record in military history."

_Heehee… It's nice to hear such things… I just hope the press don't want to make some kind of special conference._

After some reading and a nice and long hot bath, Toshiro hit the hay in good spirits.

**If you feel like it, please leave a review. However, I have only one request – if you want to leave something the size of a short story, please consider discussing your points over PM. If you want to leave an anonymous review, I respect your decision to do so, but if you sign in, I can actually discuss anything with you, dear reader. Thanks for reading, and I hope the next chapter will also garner your attention!**


	20. Chapter 20 - One Bastard Less

**As you may have seen (or not), Legendary Witches 3: Cross World Battle has been published. It's not much now, but hey, you can already fav/follow it. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 20 – One Bastard Less

_Today is the first of September. Yesterday, contrary to my hopes, the media swarmed the institute. The usual quartet was accompanied by a bunch of regional newspapers, and they even brought a film camera. To say the least, it was a fairly normal conference, starring me, only with more people than usual. I managed to survive the onslaught of questions, and then, I turned to something I liked more, mainly a practical demonstration. They probably made photos of my new equipment from every angle, and probably used up a can of tape to just record my flying._

_The photographer from the Karlslander Abendsblat also took a nice photo of me on a neutral background, with nice lighting, me having all my medals and stuff. He said it's going to be printed as official Wehrmacht merchandise. Yeah… I hope they won't have to halt the presses today…_

_And Helma now looks at me like I'm some gold idol…_

Toshiro went on for his usual walk, and when he was going back to the main building, he saw Christa entering. She also saw him, and waited for him to approach.

"Morning, Christa."

"Good morning, Hero of Karlsland." She giggled.

"Ah, pshaw… Come on, that title is good for shining around and nothing else."

"And yet, the people love you… At least that's what my old boss told me when I called him yesterday…"

"Nothing like a bartender to give you the best info, huh?"

"Heh, true… So anyway, your stocks are standing high."

"Hmmm… You know that today's a state holiday, right?"

"Yes…"

"And that there are some official celebrations?"

"Yeees…"

"And you know that my uncle and Adolfine like to pull of weird stuff?"

"No…"

"Well, I can only hope I won't have to make an idiot out of myself because, oh surprise, something will happen before a shitload of people." He sighed.

"What could happen, Toshiro?"

"Well, Adolfine told me that I could get promoted if something tipped over the scales in my favor. But I also set an all-time kill count record, so if I'll not be rewarded with something, I'm a monkey's uncle."

"Haha… And I'll be witnessing it."

"You're going too? How much people are going actually?"

"I know Ursula, Helma, Gisele, and Elisa are going, so you'll have your private harem, haha!"

"Yeah, yeah, pick on me… But I didn't have the occasion to even hold hands with Yoshika for almost a month… Good that my self-control is on a decent level…"

"The Hero of Karlsland running around and humping girls on the side… That would be an interesting headline…" Christa scratched her chin.

"You don't know shit about me, Christa… And thankfully, you won't, heheheheheh…" Toshiro said with a hint of nervousness no mortal could detect.

"Hey, well, you told me the raw statistics, I just don't know the names behind the numbers."

"And you won't, unless I release I biography in sixty years when I won't give a fuck anymore."

"Snap… Oh, we're at the mess hall already."

They entered the spacious room. And like the tradition called for, Ursula and Helma were already waiting in line. Toshiro waved to them, they waved back. Christa and Toshiro sat at a free table and waited for the two and the food.

"French fries with fish and ketchup… Hmmm… Does this have something to do with my imminent departure?"

"I don't know." Ursula shrugged. "But if I would guess, that would be a plausible explanation."

"Ah, well, let's just eat up."

After dinner, Toshiro went to his room. He took all the books from his room and went with them to the library.

"Ah, Toshiro returns with his book. I hope you could at least read most of them?" Elisa asked with her usual cutesy tone.

"Yes, I did. So I have nothing left?"

Elisa took a quick glance and said, "Everything returned, I won't have to send you strongly worded letters, heehee…"

Toshiro returned to his room. Sensing that it would be necessary, he pinned all his awards to his uniform, and hung whatever he could hang. He cleaned up the room a bit and left it with his trusty chest in his hands.

"My, my… How elegant… So many medals…" Gisele said as she saw him.

"I have to bring out the brass to get air sometimes…" Toshiro said.

He placed the chest before Gisele's desk and sat on it.

"I guess everyone will assemble for the flight soon?"

"Yes, before the main building. We already have some proficiency in that."

"Then I'll just wait here…"

And so, Toshiro waited. Helma was the first of his _harem _to come, so she was offered a seat beside Toshiro on the chest, which she accepted with such gratitude as if Toshiro gave her a bar of gold. Then some people he only saw briefly came and went, and after that Ursula strolled in. Christa got to Toshiro's spot after another wave of nameless people, and after that Elisa came down.

"Okay, I think we should go." Gisele said and stood up. "It's about time for the roll call."

They all exited the building and joined a small crowd. Suddenly, Gisele went forward and started the roll call. When it finished, Toshiro asked, "Hey, you're good at this. What did you do before being a receptionist?"

"Heh… I was a drill sergeant."

"Wow… Incredible…" Toshiro replied amazed.

"More like impossible, huh? Looks can deceive, Toshiro…"

"Well, your daily demeanor is also deceiving…"

"Appropriate behavior for the appropriate post..."

A Ju 252 was waiting for them with the ramp slowly opening. Toshiro got a place in the first most seat of the heavy transporter converted into a passenger carrier. Of course, it was because he had a big chest he was lugging with him and which he didn't want to lose out of his sight, and the front seats had more leg space. And of course, Helma was on cloud nine that she could sit beside him.

After the flight which took slightly over an hour, the whole group swarmed out of the plane and a crapload of cars started coming towards them. Toshiro could spot the familiar Kübelwagen out of them, driven by an equally familiar person.

"Good morning, Toshiro." Joachim said as he stopped by him. "I'm your personal driver today."

"It's actually beneficial… Okay, let's go."

Toshiro dumped his chest in the back and sat shotgun.

"So…" Toshiro started.

"A total failure…" Joachim mumbled.

"Oh?"

"Well, maybe not total but… we didn't even get to kiss…"

"Details, details!" Toshiro hurried him.

"I started my advances just as you left. Slowly I started probing the Generalmajor, but to my surprise, and sheer terror at first, after a few days she asked me "Want to go on a date?""

"Woah!"

"Right?! Anyway, we started going personal a bit during the days before the date. The day of the date was the day before your last operation."

"So that's why she said she didn't want to jinx it…"

"It didn't work anyway. We went to a restaurant, blah blah, and on the date we realized, that we are two totally opposite people privately. She said this relationship had no future, and we both agreed not to return to the topic ever…"

"Awww… How terrible… But I hope you're not beat down by it, right?"

"Not quite... The girls in the red light district can heal a man's heart in a jiffy…"

"And make his dick fall off after contracting every known, and possibly a few unknown diseases… Well, anyway, where are we going?"

"City Hall."

After a few minutes they arrived before a tall building on the corner of two streets. But they didn't stop just in the entrance, but drove in the back alley.

"Hmmmm…"

"Let's say you're a surprise guest…"

"Buh, well… Should I take my trunk with me?"

"I'll take it back to the Generalmajor's house. Enter the building through the door guarded by the two guards, and someone inside will surely guide you."

"Okay, thanks for everything."

Toshiro exited the car, and after being saluted by the guards he was let in. And nobody else than his favorite Generalmajor greeted him inside.

"Toshiro!" Adolfine cheered and hugged him.

"Haha, you missed me already?"

"This is the last chance to hug you how you are now because after an hour, give or take, you'll be somebody totally different."

"And of course no advance notice now, huh?"

"Nope! Undo that coat of yours, I want to see how you've dressed."

Toshiro took off his coat.

"Hmmm… You're making progress…" She murmured after making some minor corrections. "But I'll loosen up the Ritterkreuz a bit…"

"Why? Oh, wait, why am I even asking…"

"Heehee, you do learn fast."

"So, what's the plan?" He asked.

"You'll be watching the event with me from the shadows. After a certain moment in your uncle's speech, I'll give you a nudge and you'll go to him, that's all."

"And if I'll make an idiot of myself?"

"Don't try to, please. You'll be guided what to do and when." Adolfine responded seriously.

"Oh okay…"

They walked through the building and landed up in a large room, most probably a banquet hall, propped with columns, brightly lit in the middle but a bit dark on the sides. There was a swarm of people, both soldiers and civilians in the room. Toshiro could fish out a few familiar faces out of the rabble. A single long red carpet was laid out in the room through the whole length. A single microphone was standing near a big door.

"Okay, we stop here by the column and wait." Adolfine said.

After a few minutes, the big door opened. A troop of ten soldiers with trumpets walked along the red carpet and made a gauntlet. They raised the trumpets and played a fanfare, and the Kaiser walked and stood before the microphone. Before he would say anything, the trumpeters intoned the first notes of the national anthem, and the whole wide room sung the Kaiserlied.

After that the whole ceremony began. First, a list of deceased since last year was read by Franz, which took very long. Then the Kaiser proceeded with a speech. It was a passionate speech about remembrance, sacrifice and patriotism.

"But today, I will give you a small ray of hope." Franz said and looked in Toshiro's direction

"Toshiro, go." Adolfine whispered and nodded.

He took a deep breath and went forward. The murmurs and whispers across the room started, and even a few girly screams could be heard. Toshiro was waved in by Franz to stand beside him.

"Some probably still remember that there was one province of Karlsland without a titular ruler before the war broke out, Pommern. Toshiro, my nephew is the answer to it, I was saving it for him. But, he is a bastard you all may say, and you will be right. But no more, because with accordance with the decision of the Military Council from yesterday, Toshiro Lucas Edelweiss, and his late father, Lucas Andrew Edelweiss, are hereby made official members of the House of Hohenzollern, by extension making my nephew my rightful successor."

Toshiro looked surprised at his uncle.

"Additionally, they retain their original surnames and receive their own coat of arms."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Adolfine appeared beside Toshiro with a suitcase and she unfolded something. It was a coat of arms, a white edelweiss on a red mountain on a black background. Toshiro was almost blinded by the flash of photographic lamps.

"And finally, Toshiro Lucas Edelweiss is now the titular Erzherzog of the Pommern province. But those are not all the surprises I have procured for today. As many of you, dear subject, know, my nephew has made some noise the day before yesterday which again made the Military Council think hard, and the result of their brainstorming is following... Toshiro Lucas von Edelweiss, Erhherzog von Pommern is now promoted to the rank of Generalmajor, effective immediately."

_Holy shit! Shitshitshitshit… I'm a one star now, hahahahaha!_

Photographic lamps flashed again and Toshiro saw Franz's hand extended towards him.

"Grab, shake, _Lang leb der Kaizer_" Adolfine said silently.

Toshiro did what Adolfine wanted of him.

"The last major thing for today, is something that was enabled by my nephew obtaining the rank of Generalmajor. There's an award that can be only awarded when the recipient is of that or higher rank, and being a respectful leader, not some kind of dictator, I was abiding with the decisions of the Military Council. But since my nephew attained such a rank, and furthermore, he broke an all-time record of the Wehrmacht in Neuroi shot downs, bah, he even destroyed a Hive single-handedly, the Military Council didn't think too long."

Adolfine opened her suitcase, and she gave the Kaiser a small case, covered with red leather, with a gold Kaiser eagle embossed on the top.

"I Frederick, from the will of God the Emperor of Karlsland, confer to you, Generalmajor Toshiro Lucas von Edelweiss, Ehrherzog von Pommern, the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross in lieu of your many merits and the valorous service and unbroken will towards your Vaterland."

_I didn't even know this existed! I thought there wasn't an intermediary award between my level of Knight's Cross and uncles Star of the Grand Cross… Oh… Wait... Yeah, it's obvious now…_

"Attention, salute, "Lang leb der Kaiser" etc." Adolfine whispered.

Toshiro waited until the ribbon of the award was on his neck. When Franz put his hand out, he just thought "Fuck it.", and he just hugged his uncle.

"Hahahaha! This is unexpected!" Franz laughed heartily while patting Toshiro on the back. "Okay, enough of this, I have to end the festivities."

Toshiro let go of his uncle.

"My dear subjects, this is a man that reached his current position through his skill and many sacrifices. Let us hope that thanks to him, the next 1st September will be a happy holiday. Good bye, and have a good day."

"Come on, Toshiro, before your fans and the journalists eat you alive." Adolfine said and the three of them retreated behind the big door.

"Toshiro, you were supposed to shake the Kaiser's hand, not bear hug him!" Adolfine shouted. "If you weren't evenly ranked, I'd spank you!"

"Hahahahahaha! Evenly ranked! Bwahahahahaha!"

"Yeaaaaah… What a nightmare… You having the same rank as me… But well, congratulations, Toshiro."

"Thanks, Adi. But wait a minute… If you're not my boss now, who is?"

"Keitel." Franz said. "Now you respond to the chief of the OKW himself. But you can still bother Adolfine for anything you need."

"Aaaaah… Makes sense… So, Adi… I guess we're partners now?"

"Oh yes, now we are partners, heehee…"

"So, what's the plan for the rest of the day?" Toshiro asked.

"I'm going to my residence, and you two can go to Adolfine's house. Or wherever you wish, it's a holiday." Franz replied.

Toshiro looked at Adolfine and she said, "My house it is."

They exited the building through the same way Toshiro entered it, and Joachim was waiting for them. They entered the car, both in the back.

"Home please." Adolfine said.

"Verstanden."

They arrived at Adolfine's house. After she opened the door, Toshiro saw his chest.

"Toshiro, sit down, I need to tell you something…"

"Hmmm?"

"You really should sit down…"

"Okay…." Toshiro said and sat down on the chest.

"Ah, wait a second, I'll go put some fire under the boiler."

"Take your time…"

Adolfine ran to the basement, and after two minutes she returned.

"Today at around 0600, there was a fire on the ship that's carrying Yoshika and Shizuka."

Toshiro felt as his heart slowed down at least two times. Cold sweat started dripping down his whole body."

"Buuuut! Luckily, everything is okay, there were only minor injuries amongst the crew members."

Toshiro limped down on his knees.

"Toshiro!"

"Okay… I'm okay… But… Why the fuck did you have to be so dramatic…?"

"Well, now I can tell you what I know… A fire started in the ammo bay of the ship. And you know what that would mean, right?"

Toshiro gulped audibly.

"Yeaaah… The sprinkler system failed so somebody was needed to start it manually, but, oh the irony, the valve was in the ammo bay itself. They sent somebody to do this, but the fire was still going on. And then, Yoshika comes in."

"Yoshika? But she's now a normal girl! She can even get a cold now!"

"But her character stayed the same, right?"

"Right…"

"So, she ran into the ammo bay amongst the raging fire to save both the guy that went before her, and she managed to turn the valve and douse the fire."

"Wow… My Yoshika did that?"

"Talk about a hero…"

"Yeah… I destroyed over a hundred of Neuroi, Yoshika saved over a hundred of lives… I'm so fucking proud and furious at the same time!"

"Furious? Why?"

"Because she behaved like a selfish moron! She knew she could die! And what about Shizuka?"

"She testified that Yoshika was out of her control."

"Control-shmontrol… But yeah… Maybe Yoshika finally pulled the _rank superiority_ card…" Toshiro sighed deeply.

"Now I can't do the same on you…" Adolfine pouted.

"Dawwww…"

"Take a bath, Toshiro. You smell." She held her nose ostentatiously.

"Well, you're a bit to blame."

"Excuses, excuses… I'll do some sewing work on your uniforms in the meanwhile, what say you?"

"I say yay!" Toshiro cheered.

He unbuttoned his uniform and gave it to Adolfine.

"Bath supplies in the usual place?"

"Yes."

Toshiro ran to _his_ room and took the bath supplies. Back when he returned, he saw Adolfine rummaging through his chest with a displeased look.

"Why the sour face, Adi?"

"Do you know the term civilian clothing?"

"Uhh… I wore a yukata in July…" Toshiro pondered deeply.

"Crap… Okay, go take that bath already…"

Toshiro shrugged and went to take that bath.

_"__Archduke… Official successor… One star General... New award… Wow, so much happened today…"_

_"__I'm proud of you, you know?"_

_"__Oh are you, Yuki?"_

_"__Yeees… You're a made man now. What say you about becoming a Generalleutnant?"_

_"__Yuki, please… What good would that bring me?"_

_"__You would have nice epaulets... And an even bigger pay…"_

_"__Pay… Oh, right! I didn't bother about my monies!"_

_"__And I didn't bother about your monies either… Ask Adi about your new salary."_

_"__I'm curious too."_

Toshiro wrapped himself in a towel and exited out of the bath. He found Adolfine in the living room, with all his uniforms spread out all over the place.

"The hell?"

"I looked for something normal you could wear around the house and I have failed. Damn it to hell…" She said sourly.

"Your point?"

"I wanted to send your current uniforms to the dry cleaner… Ah! I have a solution! Toshiro, wait for me okay? I'll be back in an hour max!"

"Sure…"

Adolfine rushed out of the house quickly.

_Wonder what got into her…_

Toshiro looked at all the uniforms, and saw that on the long-sleeved one the rank insignia were already changed.

_Oh boy oh boy!_

Toshiro looked at his new epaulets. The red background harmonized perfectly with the golden cords and the single silver thread going through the center of all the cords. His collar patch also changed. It also had a red background, scarlet even, and instead of silver bars, there was an embroidered gold arabesque motif.

_Heh… Looks nice… But yeah, urgh, the uniform… smells…_

Toshiro laid the uniform back where it was, and put on a record while he was waiting.

After some time, she barged in, huffing and puffing with a whole bundle of bags.

"Woah, Adolfine, I thought it's a holiday today?"

"Some people… actually work… today…" She said and threw everything at him. "Put it on."

Toshiro looked at Adolfine surprised but he started pulling out everything from the bags. He ended up with grey pants with slightly darker vertical stripes, brown shoes, a blue checkered shirt and a brown tie. He dressed into everything and Adolfine said, "Wow, like a totally new man. You'll be walking around the house like this."

Toshiro looked around and he saw his dim reflection in a glass pane.

_Hmm… Not bad… Not bad at all…_

"Come over here, Adi, I think I spotted something weird…"

"Hmm? What is it?"

As she approached him, Toshiro gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Oh you sly bastard…" She blushed slightly.

"Not anymore, haha!"

"Yeah, that too…"

"Not in the mood for horseplay, Adi?"

"Not exactly…"

"Lemme guess… Dumping Joachim moved even you?" He smirked.

"H-How do you know?!"

"I pushed him towards it, duh."

"You son of… no… moth… no… GODDAMN FUCKING INTRIGANT!"

"Woah, woah… Adi…"

"Sorry… I had to lash out at someone, but I couldn't pin point who was at fault… Aaaah, everything's clear now… I told you I wanted to change my social life a bit, and you ordered the poor Joachim to hit on me?"

"Yeah…"

"I bet you had good intentions but… we really don't fit…"

"Tough luck, try again with somebody else."

"Maybe later… Much later… Not this month at least…" She mumbled under her nose.

"Now, now…" He patted her head. "My partner shouldn't be so gloomy."

"Heh, thanks…"

Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard.

"I'll get it, I'm the man of the house now."

"Hahahaha!"

He opened the door and saw his _harem _from Rosario.

"Oh, good morning sir." Ursula said politely. "Did we by chance find ourselves at the Galland residence?"

He could see Christa and Elisa chuckling already, but he didn't have the heart to pull a prank on Ursula right now. He now noticed she has her glasses fogged. He swiped them from her face with a swift move, and Ursula shouted, "Toshiro, is that you?!"

"Yeah."

"Hey, Toshiro, who is it?" Adolfine asked from inside.

"My personal harem from Rosario."

"Your harem?" Adolfine asked with a doubtful voice and rushed to him. "Oh look what a nice bunch we have here! What do you want, girls?"

"Uhm… We wanted to congratulate Toshiro and such…" Ursula said quietly.

"Then come on in, all of you!"

"C-Can we?"

"Sure, Ursula, come on in with the whole entourage. Toshiro, tea for seven."

"Coming, darling."

"Shush, idiot!"

He heard the girls snickering behind him. Whilst he was preparing the tea, he heard the girls talking.

"Um, we have a small request…" Ursula said.

"What is it?" Adolfine asked.

"Because we wanted to congratulate Toshiro, we had to skip our plane back…"

"And I thought Toshiro was stupid…" She sighed. "Okay, wait a second, I'll clean up in the living room and you can all get a seat."

The kettle was on the kitchen, the tea was in the cup. Toshiro went to see the girls.

"Did I hear correctly, or did you stupid girls forfeit your ride back home just to shake hands with me?"

The girls looked around flustered.

"Okay, we'll talk later."

"Okay, girls, pick your places!" Adolfine shouted.

The five went into the living room. Adolfine approached him and whispered, "I'll order some cake and send your uniform to the dry cleaner."

"Oh, remember about a chocolate parfait for Helma."

"She likes those?"

"Yup, at least that's what she told me."

"Okay, thanks for the tip."

Adolfine went to the gym, where one of the phones in the house was located.

The kettle started whistling, so Toshiro went to the kitchen and finished making tea. After placing everything necessary on a platter, he went to the living room. The girls made themselves somewhat cozy on the couch, with Christa, Gisele, Elisa and Ursula sitting in the _proper_ part and Helma using the rather wide armrest.

"You're all still in your coats? Gods… Out of those, now."

"But we don't know how long we'll be here…" Ursula said.

"Enough for you to boil in that coat. You've heard me, off with them."

The girls murmured a bit, but they gave him all their coats.

"Now, take the tea from me."

Christa stood up again and took the platter form him and put it down on the small table before the couch.

"Good."

Toshiro went back to the kitchen and placed all the coats on the table. Then he grabbed the two chairs and dragged them along to the living room.

"Well, all we need now is Adolfine."

"Did you call?" She said while entering the room.

"Now we have everything."

Adolfine took her chair and placed it diagonally before the girls. Toshiro did the same with his, but on the other side.

"So, you poor unfortunate girls, you'll get a plane in two hours, I managed to find a pilot not drunk by now."

"Th-Thank you…" Ursula said with burning cheeks.

"So, did you all congratulate Toshiro, or were you to ashamed to do so?"

The girls looked around each other and swarmed Toshiro quickly, wishing him various things. Just after they finished and started drinking the tea, someone knocked on the door.

"I'll get it, Toshiro." Adolfine said.

She first took his uniforms and then went to the door. She returned without the uniform, but returned with two paper boxes.

"I got cake!" Adolfine cheered.

"Yay!" Helma cheered.

"Ah, you should be satisfied the most…"

Adolfine placed the two cake boxes. The first one contained a strawberry shortcake, but the second one made Helma squeal from joy.

"Wooooooooaaaaaaaah! A chocolate parfaaaaaaaaaait!" Helma shouted and immediately looked at Toshiro. "You remembered!"

Toshiro shrugged with a smile. The girls began eating the cake, but in the middle of it, Toshiro laughed silently and said, "You know what, girls… I think it's good that you all are here…"

They looked at him surprised.

"This way, you can all give advice to Adolfine on how to find a man."

Adolfine who was taking a sip of tea spat it all over Christa's face.

"Toshiro, damn you! What are you thinking about?!" She yelled and looked at Christa. "Whoops."

"Ursula could teach you all a thing or two, Christa has her own experience, both as an adult woman and a part-time bar worker…"

"I could teach all the girls here but… Toshiro… I would… uhm… request you'd go somewhere else…" Ursula blushed.

"Okay."

"Hey, hey! Don't I have anything to say?!" Adolfine protested.

"Nope." Toshiro said. "Have fun, girls."

Toshiro took his chest and went upstairs to his room. He laid down on the bed and took a quick nap.

* * *

Knocking on the door woke him up.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly and Helma walked in with a bleak face expression.

"Hmm… Lemme guess, too much for such a pure maiden like you?"

She didn't say anything. She just walked up to Toshiro's bed and slid under the quilt, effectively hiding from the world. Toshiro found her head and started stroking it.

"There, there… This all may seem a bit gross, unnatural or sinful, but really, once you start, you won't want to stop."

Few minutes later, she finally popped up and hugged Toshiro lightly.

"That was scary… And Ursula was really blunt… But I guess I need that knowledge…"

"Heheh… Okay, now scram. What would someone say if a squirt like you was found in my bed, huh?"

"Woah, you're right!" She shouted and darted out of his bed. "Um, anyway, you can go back now probably…"

* * *

Toshiro followed Helma downstairs. Once he entered the living room, Adolfine shot daggers at him.

"Don't look like that at me, Adolfine. I only wanted to help…"

"And you did… somehow… maybe…" She mumbled.

"How long did I sleep by the way?"

"It's almost time for the girls to go."

"Ah, what a shame. On the other hand, Ursula and Christa probably ran out of ideas what to say…"

"Well, I didn't have much to say in the first place…" Christa said. "Good that I went first."

"But I must admit that the practical knowledge of Christa, though limited, is still something…" Ursula said.

"As somebody who only read about it, I appreciate the lecture." Elisa said with a smile.

"_O tempora, o mores_…" Gisele said and sighed.

At the same time, there was a knock on the door.

"Ah, I guess that's your ride girls. Take your coats and hats, and goodbye." Adolfine said with a smile.

"Kitchen." Toshiro said and pointed out the room opposite this one.

The girls went to the kitchen and put their coats on. After that they returned to the corridor.

"I guess we won't see each other in a while… So long, Toshiro. I promise I'll try to build an even better Striker!"

"Oh stop, Ursula… Focus on the Strikers for witches. That Me 262 is crying after you."

"Maybe… Or I'll try to downscale the XF-1, hah!"

"Okay, okay! Move over, Ursula!" Helma said and pushed Ursula aside. "Toshiro, I hope you won't dishonor the Wehrmacht, not now when your God knows who anymore!"

Toshiro quickly grabbed her cheeks and said, "I'll miss your soft cheeks, heheheh…"

"Bwut I bowt biff yu bweebin bem!"

"Heheh…" Toshiro laughed and let her go.

"I'll try to make a good frame for the rail gun, Toshiro. And maybe I'll adapt a better sight… Hmm…"

"Do what you must, Christa. I'm fine with my current loadout."

"Remember to read books, Toshiro. A few pages a day keep the shrink away, heehee…" Elisa giggled.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to at least read the manual of a fridge if it comes to, haha!"

"And be sure to do your paperwork diligently!" Gisele almost shouted.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Good!"

"Heheh…"

"Okay you all, bye now!" Adolfine said.

"Good bye, Adolfine!" All the girls cheered in unison.

"Speaking of paperwork…" Toshiro said after the door closed. "How's my pay?"

"As of today, two hundred net."

"Not bad… Not that I'm moaning about how poor I am…"

"You don't have the right too…"

"So, what now? We had fun…"

"How about… Let's listen to some music."

"Ah, that would be nice…"

They listened to various artists to supper, with Adolfine tucked into his chest. Surprising for Toshiro was the fact that his uniform returned from the dry cleaner. It was stiff as a board, but it had a nice scent of lemons. After supper, they retreated to their rooms.

"Say, Toshiro…" Adolfine said loud enough to hear her through the wall.

"What?"

"We have a normal work day tomorrow…"

"Booooother…"

"Well, not normal… Sundays are shorter but… you have to be introduced properly to Keitel, get briefed by him, blah blah, et cetera."

"I think I'll manage."

"Good. That way of thinking earned you your rank and titles."

"Jealous?"

"Like fuck… An eighteen year old Generalmajor… Sweet mother of Jesus…"

"Go to sleep, Adi."

"I'd prefer with you…"

"Ah, you missed me…"

"Kind of…"

"Say, Yuki! What do you think? Can Adi sleep with me in a non-sexual context?" Toshiro asked aloud in a theatrical manner.

"Yes…" Yuki sighed.

Toshiro could hear the quick thumping of feet behind the wall, the sound of one door being opened. Then he saw his door being opened and Adolfine running towards him.

"Weeeeee!" She cheered while she pounced on his bed.

"But no funny stuff!" Yuki yelled.

"Okay, I promise! I just want someone to hug during the night…"

_"__This can actually work…"_

_"__Huh?"_

_"__If Adi is left alone after I leave Neue Karlsland, she might pick up the pace with finding a suitor…"_

_"__You are despicable sometime, Toshiro…"_

_"__I just can't stand the fact that Adi is going to waste. She's twenty four already and no perspectives on marrying or whatever."_

_"__Chauvinist…"_

_"__Feminist…"_

_"__Slave driver…"_

_"__Tightass…"_

_"__Hey, I am a snake after all, right?"_

_"__Heheh, yeah…"_

Adolfine kissed him on the cheek and cuddled herself against him.

"Good night, Erzherzog of Pommern, heehee…"

"Oh can it…"

* * *

**If you feel like it, please leave a review. However, I have only one request – if you want to leave something the size of a short story, please consider discussing your points over PM. If you want to leave an anonymous review, I respect your decision to do so, but if you sign in, I can actually discuss anything with you, dear reader. Thanks for reading, and I hope the next chapter will also garner your attention!**


	21. Chapter 21 - Formalities

Chapter 21 – Formalities

Toshiro opened his eyes in the dark, early morning. He looked to his right side, and saw Adolfine, but since this was an _innocent_ sleepover, she was under the quilt, and in her bed attire.

_It's nice to wake up beside someone, especially if you like them. Arggghh… When will I reunite with Yoshika? I want to feel the warmth of her lips, the smell of her brown hair, feel her tongue squirming around in my mouth…_

As if feeling that Toshiro was now thinking intensively, Adolfine stretched herself and slowly opened her eyes.

"Heehee… We didn't have sex, but I still feel fantastically after sleeping with you in one bed for the whole night…"

"I'm the damn heir to the throne, now your bragging rights are high as hell!"

"Well shit, they really are… But… Oh fuck…"

"What is it?"

"Toshiro, do NOT even try to tell ANYONE about it. Maybe your little collection of gals you desecrated could be an exception, but under NO circumstances should you even hint that you've slept with me, or anyone else than Yoshika for that matter."

"I see where you're going at… Shit, you're totally right… Wow, a scandal is basically hovering over my head, waiting to descend upon me like a bucket full of fecal matter…" Toshiro pondered.

"What a damn imagination you have… Ugh… But whatever… Toshiro, let's move on to our usual daily routine, okay?"

"And it was so peaceful back in Rosario… The last few days I basically lied in bed and read through at least 5% of what the library had to offer…"

"Oh, don't worry, Toshiro… Today will be a bit turbulent, but the next two days after that will be rather peaceful. At least that's what I think."

"Of course you have a plan for me, right?"

"I wouldn't be myself if I didn't have one, heehee…" Adolfine giggled.

"But remember who you have to do with now, ha!"

"We're even ranked, so I still don't have to tell you anything, heheh…"

"Damn you to hell…" He mumbled.

"Now, about that morning routine…"

"Yeah, I'm going…"

Toshiro got out of the bed and put on his old uniform used for training. He then went and put fire under the boiler. He returned to his room and found it empty, but Adolfine exited her room at the same time he did, in her usual training attire.

"And I thought you would be a bit lazy today… It's a Sunday, you know?"

"That's why we're only working till 1600. Come on, let's pump dem guns!"

After the workout came the bath.

"Hmmm… Toshiro, maybe we should bathe together in one tub…?" Adolfine asked shyly.

"Oh come on, there's no way Yuki would agree…"

"I don't know… Maybe I would but… There's a chance of too much intimate contact… Although… Toshiro managed to bathe with TWO girls at one time, and there wasn't more skinship than required… Ah, what the hell, jump in you two." Yuki pondered aloud.

"Two girls, Toshiro?" Adolfine asked curiously.

"Shirley and Franny. But don't worry, really, nothing at all happened. Well, maybe beside the fact that Francesca almost deprived me of the possibility to have a progenitor…"

"Oooouuuuch..." Adolfine's face warped in a painful grimace.

"Mmmmyeah… I hope you'll have better coordination than her…"

"Don't worry, I'll be behind you just in case."

"Afraid an aquatic monster might attack you from behind?"

"Haha, good one!"

* * *

After the bath, they ate breakfast, which Toshiro made himself, since he made the mistake of being better than Adolfine.

"Three days of breakfast from Toshiro… I'll get too spoiled…"

"I can make it into a nightmare if you want…"

"Let's stick to my original delusions…"

* * *

After breakfast, Toshiro went to his room to get dressed. He pulled out his freshly cleaned uniform and put it on. He then looked at himself in the mirror.

_"__My, my… The rank insignia matches my eyes, and composes really nicely with the uniform, heheh…"_

_"__You really look like a true General, Toshiro… I'm so damn proud that my Toshiro had risen in the military ranks so fast! I would kiss you if I could!"_

_"__Well, you can…"_

_"__What do you… Ooooooh, well, maybe… I'll look into it, heehee…"_

* * *

Toshiro went outside of his room. Adolfine also had her regulatory uniform now.

"Hmm? Why so?"

"You know what a ruckus we'll cause entering the building like this? Hah! Everyone will drop dead! Two and only magic using Generals in the whole world military in one place at the same time!"

"Well, we'll surely make some noise… Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait a minute… Are you planning a press conference?" He asked full of suspicion.

"Uh… Um…" Adolfine started squirming around and counting the bumps on the plaster covering the ceiling.

"Adi… How could you…" Toshiro didn't hide his disappointment.

"We owe them for yesterday, Toshiro… Don't worry though, your favorite four will be present, and only them."

"Well, maybe I can do it if it's just them…"

"You're in a whole new world now, Toshiro… But worry not, only a few days left…"

"To what?" He asked.

"You'll see."

* * *

They've driven to the HQ. The first person they tended to was of course the receptionist.

"Yay, its Toshiro!" She cheered. "Oh, pardon, maybe I should pick one of your new titles?"

"Nah, stick with my given name. Miss me, Helga?"

"A bit…" She said with a sly smile.

"Oh you…"

"Ah, there was a call for you. I said that individual that you can be reached right about now, so I would go to Adolfine's office now."

"Really? Okay… Can I make myself comfortable, Adolfine?"

"Sure you can. But don't lollygag too much, you have an appointment with the boss man at 0800." She said and threw him the key.

"I'll try to be brief if possible."

Toshiro went to her office and opened the door. Just as he sat in the chair, the phone rang. He picked it up, and with a smirk on his face he said, "Generalmajor von Edelweiss."

"Bro!" A cheer came to his ear.

"Erica! Now this is surprising!"

"Toshiro, seriously? Generalmajor, heir to the throne and bearer of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross? You should play at the lottery too, heehee…"

"Proud of your ersatz brother?"

"Like hell! But tell me one thing… Did you meet with Ursula?"

"Yeah. I was in Rosario for a good week."

"Did you treat her good?"

"Probably, although you'll have to be more specific…"

"You didn't try anything _funny_, didn't you?"

"Noooo…" Toshiro answered honestly.

"Ah, okay then! Wait a second, there's a line forming behind me."

"Oh really, let them at me…"

After a few crackles, Toshiro heard Trude's voice.

"Toshiro, you son of a bitch! How could you shoot ahead of me so much?!"

"Oh? Jealous are we?"

"Only a bit… Mostly because of that award…" Trude mumbled. "But! I am proud of you! You are the Truest Soldier of Karlsland!"

"Hahahaha!"

"Well, anyway, don't you put the Wehrmacht to shame, hear me?"

"I think I've heard that already…" He sighed.

"Oh and you probably will in the next few days… Ah, Minna wants to talk. Bye!"

A few seconds later, Minna said, "Hello, my favorite heir."

"Heheh, hi Minna. What's up?"

"Oh nothing… We're lazying around here in the Sint-Truiden airbase but there have been some disturbances lately… I think we'll have our hands full in the next few days…"

"Hang tight, Minna, I believe in you."

"Thanks… The girls are doing a great job as usual, and my back is killing me from the amount of paperwork… I wish we could all be a unit again…"

"Wishing is free…" Toshiro sighed.

"Ah, I bummed us down quite nicely, heehee… Well, have a good day, Toshiro."

"You too, Minna."

Toshiro placed the receiver on its proper place.

"You have some really loyal friends, Toshiro…" Adolfine said from behind him.

"And you are eavesdropping, shameless you."

"Hey, it's my office, dumbo."

"No, Adi, it's not yours. It's the Wehrmachts!" Toshiro said in a lecturing tone.

"Heheheh… Yeah, I see that you're already adapting like a boss… Now shoo, before you get too late."

"Hey, won't you at least lead me to the proper door?"

"Ah well, I guess I should… Come on."

Surprisingly, it was on the ground floor. They passed Helga and went to the wing Toshiro never went into. They arrived before a simple single door with Keitel's full name and function written on a nameplate screwed to it. Adolfine looked at her watch.

"Five minutes…" She said silently. "As a Karlslander, you should appear exactly on time, ten seconds earlier at most but not a second later."

"Oh… Okay, I'll see…"

"Come in you two, I can hear you." A voice said from behind the door.

Both of them twitched nervously. And looked at each other with fear struck eyes.

"Busted." Adolfine said. "Follow me."

Adolfine opened the door, went forwards and stood into attention. Toshiro did the same after he closed the door.

"At ease, both of you. Adolfine, you can leave the Generalmajor with me, I promise I will return him undamaged."

"Heehee… Okay, boss."

Adolfine saluted and went out of the room.

"Sooooo… We're now in the same caste so to speak… Congratulations, Toshiro."

"Thank you… uh…"

"You can call me "boss" too if you like."

"Oh, thank you, boss. My promotion I knew about, that's why I wanted to destroy that hive, but the rest overwhelmed me a tad…"

"Yeeees… I can imagine… Highest yet awarded grade of the Iron Cross in this war… Being recognized as the official heir to the throne, de-bastardized so to speak, hahaha. And last but not least – promoted. You don't even know what possibilities you have at your hands…"

"Boss, please, enlighten me then."

"That's why we're here, Toshiro. First of all, you've automatically gained an apartment and an office of your own, but I would abstain from going to Adolfine for picking one out. I will explain that later. Next, you gained the option to have a two months paid leave. Don't underestimate that privilege, really… What else… You can now get a loan from the OKW for up to a hundredfold of your pay with a one percent interest. I wouldn't underestimate that either, but I'd like you to exercise caution… Ah, remember how you were the Grand Supervisor of the 501st?"

"Yes… But that was more like a titular function as I learned at the end…"

"Well, we had to test you… Now, your powers are fully reinstated with full effect. You can reform the 501st and disband it in the next minute if you want. For Karlslanders, you don't even have to bother calling me, but for the rest, well, you have to coordinate it with the armies of the countries from which the witches come from."

"So basically, if the need arises, I just take whatever Karlslanders I want and shout "You, you and you – you're in the 501st now?"

"Haha, pretty much!" Keitel laughed heartily.

"But why outline this now, boss?"

"I wonder if you've heard about _Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein_..."

"I've heard the name…"

"Well, we are working on the details, but I can tell you now, that this will be a long-term operation to liberate Karlsland. And returning to your apartment and office, you won't need one for the next two days anyway, because you have the two days off. After that, you'll be doing a _visitation _in the Sint-Truiden airbase."

"Oh? Why so, boss?" Toshiro asked surprised.

"We need you there before the start of the operation. Once it crystalizes, you and your Karlslander subordinates will get your orders."

"I have nothing against it. It will be nice to see my friends again."

"As I thought. At 0900 there will be press conference, so you're free until that time. After the press conference, well… Do what you want, you're free to go."

"Thank you, boss." Toshiro said and stood up.

Before going out he saluted.

_Whew… Wasn't so bad… Now what to do since I have some free time… Ah, I can entertain one of my female fans!_

Toshiro went upstairs. He peeked behind the corner and saw Inge immersed in lecture. He silently walked up to her.

"Boo." He simply said.

Inge shuddered but she didn't let out a single peep. She rigidly turned her head towards Toshiro and after seeing him, she loosened up visibly.

"Oh my! Toshiro!"

"Hi, Inge. Whatcha reading?"

"What am I…" She looked at her book and quickly smashed it under her desk. "Uh… Nothing important… Is the Kaiser expecting you?"

"I'm not here for Uncle; I'm here to visit _you_."

"M-Me?"

"You're my fan #2, I have to cater to all my faithful fans, haha!"

"Ah… Well… Uh… Could you pat me on the head?" She asked nervously.

"Helma bragged?"

"Yes…" Inge admitted with red cheeks.

"Ah okay…" Toshiro said and proceeded to pat her on the head.

"Weeee… How niiiiiceee…"

"Inge, could you bring me a coffee… Oh…"

The both of them looked at the door, and saw the Kaiser standing in it, looking a bit baffled.

"W-waaaaaah!" Inge screamed and slammed Toshiro's hand aside. "Of course!" She shouted and ran away."

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything…"

"Well, technically you interrupted me pleasing one of my fans, but whatever…"

"Don't go too far with that pleasing, Toshiro. You're now royal blood, remember that and act accordingly."

"Oh please, uncle… Why the cold shoulder suddenly?"

"Just be mindful of your surroundings, Toshiro. If it wasn't me but a journalist for example, this would get hairy…"

"I understand…" Toshiro said in an apologetic tone.

"Ah, maybe I should have ordered two coffees…"

"I had one already, thanks."

"So, how do you feel today?"

"A bit uneasy since I'll have to answer the press, but beside that I'm happy. I'll get to meet my friends in a few days."

"Indeed you will… I will retreat to my desk now, be sure not to be late for the conference."

"I will. But… Where is it actually?"

"Ask anyone else, I don't know." The Kaiser shrugged.

"Helga might know…"

Toshiro went on and while traversing the corner, he saw Inge sitting on the floor with her legs curled up under her chin.

"Such a blunder before the Kaiser…" She mumbled. "My job is forfeit for sure…"

"Oh? Inge, come on, you don't need to feel ashamed or something. Get that coffee for Uncle and move forward."

"Really?"

"Really, really. And if you're fired, I'll hire you as my personal assistant, hahaha!"

"Heehee… Okay, I'm going. If I'm late with the coffee, then I will surely be fired!"

Toshiro walked down the stairs slowly and approached Helga.

"And what does Toshiro want of the simple Helga, heehee…"

"Where's the press conference to be held?"

"Ah, well, that's…"

Helga told him exactly where to go.

"Thanks, Helga."

"No problem, Toshiro. This is my job."

"Beats chasing Neuroi around, huh?"

"I specifically had that in mind when I was joining the Wehrmacht."

"So you never wanted to defend your Vaterland with a gun in your hand and a Striker Unit on your shapely legs?"

"Oh, please, don't flatter me, heehee… I have an aversion towards firearms, Toshiro… Let's stay at that."

"Well, if you have a valid reason, then I won't object. And it would be a shame if you'd got hurt…"

"Heehee, oh stop already… I'm probably redder than the national flag now…"

"You're missing a few hues, but you're close, haha!"

Toshiro went where Helga told him. He opened the door and saw a small conference room, ideal for this kind of event. He went forward and sat on his chair. He waited for a bit and then they came. The usual four which almost stalked him on every press conference he was part of.

Satoshi Kimigami from the Yokosuka Shimbun, Mike Kowalski from the New York Times, Erich Goldmann from the Neue Karlsland Abendblatt and the youngest of them all, namely Jonathan Smith from the Daily Telegraph.

"Sup guys!" Toshiro shouted while raising his hand.

The journalists had mixed expressions, but Kowalski stepped before the line and said, "Shit still smells the same."

"Good to hear! Now, let's get over with it… Take your seats, stand or drop on the floor, whatever."

The journalists took their chairs and placed them in an arc before Toshiro.

"Ah, close and personal. Now, who's the first?"

After some murmuring amongst each other, Goldmann went first.

"Herr Generalmajor, how does it feel to be a _de facto_ Hohenzollern?"

"I don't feel any different, if you're asking about physical sensations. But more than my de-bastardization, it pleases me that my father was also made a noble, posthumously, but nonetheless."

"How about being an archduke? How does that feel?" Kowalski asked.

"Well… It's only an honorary title from what all I know, but it has a nice ring to it. But I know that being the heir to the throne is no monkey business… However, I need some time to adapt to the situation, so pardon if I make some blunders."

"General, what are your plans for the future? Do you plan to fight the Neuroi?" The Fusojin asked.

"Of course I plan to fight the Neuroi! I have received numerous upgrades to my gear and I intend to use them to full extent. As for general plans for the future… Well, since Yoshika's already been revealed to the world, I can't avoid talking about her… I want to marry her, settle down, _et cetera_. But before that happens, the world must be purged of the Neuroi."

"And how is it to be famous, General? I've heard you have quite the fan club going on." The young Britannian asked.

"It surprised me to be honest. I only did my duty and played along the script in the movie. But a fan club? Very surprising… But I've met with some members holding single digit numbers personally, numbers two and seven to be precise. Ah, and I had a nice laugh to hear that my uncle is officially my number one fan, hahaha! So, each of you had one question. Are you all satisfied?"

After some murmuring the nodded.

"Then I wish you a good day and safe travels. My two and a half day leave starts now, heheheh…"

Toshiro went out of the room before the journalists. He went to Adolfine's office.

"Oh, hi Joachim, busy as usual?" Toshiro asked with a smirk.

"Somewhat… The Generalmajor always keeps me occupied…"

"Don't mope around…" Adolfine said. "So, how did it go?"

"Smoothly. Say, Adi…"

"T... Igsney!"

"Joachim knows already, we don't need to be so fussy in our group." He shrugged.

"Oh whatever… What do you want?" Adolfine asked with a pouty face.

"Erica's file. The full version, not the leaflet I saw in Britannia."

"Why would you need that?" Adolfine asked suspicious.

"Just bring me it, please. I promise I'll tell you everything later."

"Urgh, okay… I have to do this personally… Stay put you two and no gossiping behind my back, damn you all!"

"Jawohl!" Joachim shouted frightened.

Adolfine walked out of the room. Joachim truly was terrified of talking, so Toshiro gave it a rest. Adolfine walked into the office and gave him the file.

"You have five minutes."

"I need only one…" He said and he started browsing the file fast.

It was considerably thicker than the one in Britannia and Romagna.

_That must have been the _take out_file…_

Toshiro saw various papers, even from her school days. Then he finally found it.

"Got it."

"What is it?"

"Erica's IQ test, taken… just before the war started…"

"And why did you want to see it so badly?"

"Ursula's IQ is 170, only five points less than me, and you see what she does with Striker tech."

"Oh? Wait, wait a second… You think that…"

"Yep, and this paper here confirms it. Look."

Adolfine looked at the spot Toshiro pointed out.

"One-seven-zero… Mein Gott… But she behaves like a ditz, like a total kid!"

"That's outside of combat." Toshiro said.

"Ah… Yes… In combat, she's really a devil… But why didn't she chose to work with her sister?"

"Twins may be almost identical, but they can have different characters, and this is the case. Erica is simply easy going and lazy, because it's easier for her to do so. I've read a bit about it, and geniuses are mostly nonconformists and free thinkers. They loathe the rigid social norms. Ursula is timid, a bit antisocial and perverted to the bone, and Erica is lazy to the point of being obnoxious."

"Just incredible… Ah, well, this is something unique…"

"But Erica promised me that she will try to change gradually. Okay, you can take the file back, I'll be going."

"Going where?"

"I don't know, I have two and a half days free." Toshiro looked at the ceiling.

"Really? Joachim, take Toshiro home."

"No, no… Just give me the key to the door, and I'll take a walk."

"I you want…" Adolfine rummaged in her pockets and pulled out the keys. "Here you go."

"Thanks. Should I make dinner?"

"You know… I'll skip out on dinner here, just to make room for your delicacies!"

"Okay!"

Toshiro went out of the building and he walked the whole way back to Adolfine's home. Once he arrived there, he changed into his _family man_ clothes and heated up the house.

Around 1500, he started preparing dinner. He went with simple Wienerschnitzel, Sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and some pickles. He took a bottle of wine from the basement.

Adolfine came in just as the potatoes boiled up.

"Toshirooooo… Foooooood!" She moaned.

"You shouldn't have skipped on dinner in work, Adi, you have rather fast metabolism."

"Shut up and give me food!"

"Okay, okay… Sheesh…"

Toshiro mashed up the potatoes after removing the water from the pot. He gave her portion and said, "Have at it."

Adolfine was so hungry she almost ate the plate the dinner was served on. Toshiro was eating a bit more elegantly.

"Wow… This was so good… The ladies at the mess hall can clean your shoes, Toshiro…"

"Let me guess… The next two dinners are also on me?"

"Or I'll throw you out!"

"I have an apartment to pick out you know…"

"Ah, you have that card in your sleeve… Then… Pleaaaaase cook the food for me for the next two days?" Adolfine asked with a sweet voice, almost abnormal for her.

"Okay, okay..."

* * *

They spent the day talking and listening to music. When Toshiro went to his room after evening bath, Adolfine was mysteriously in his bed.

"You're pushing your luck, missy…" Yuki said.

"Oh come on, Yuki… It's not like we're going to do anything…"

"Why am I even tolerating this…" Yuki sighed.

**If you feel like it, please leave a review. However, I have only one request – if you want to leave something the size of a short story, please consider discussing your points over PM. If you want to leave an anonymous review, I respect your decision to do so, but if you sign in, I can actually discuss anything with you, dear reader. Thanks for reading, and I hope the next chapter will also garner your attention!**


	22. Chapter 22 - Who are you?

**In the name of every possible god, please do read the AN after the chapter, it's VERY important!**

* * *

Chapter 22 – Who are you?

_The two days have passed at a crack of a whip. Since Adi _had _to work; I would spend the whole days lazing around. Well, actually I didn't. I bought a scarf, a civilian coat and a fedora, and I walked around the city, so nobody would recognize me. Buenos Aires is truly a wonderful city with a very unique architecture, and I'm really sorry I couldn't explore it more… During my trips, I have bought some stuff for my favorite Karlslanders. Erica of course will get an assload of sweets. Trude will get a crate of original Karlslander beer and Minna, in the same spirit, will get a few bottles or reaaaaaaly aged Jägermeister. And of course I have a little something for Yoshika…_

_Also, Adi gave me the last thing to complete my transformation into a general, namely a new visor cap, with the original silver bullion embroidery changed to a golden one, just like she had._

_And today is the day I'm flying off to Sint-Truiden in Belgica. Oh I will miss my _fans_, heheheh… And I'll miss Adi somehow… Speaking of which, she's lying beside me, sleeping in a cozy position, tucked into my side. Oh Adi… I really would like to be with you, but Yoshika was already miles ahead of you at the time we met, heheh…_

"Toshiro, you look like you're thinking…" She mumbled.

"Is that such a rare sight for you to spell it out?"

"Nah… But I bet you're thinking about Yoshika, the three in Belgica and… probably about me…"

"Did you learn to read my mind or what?"

"Heeheehee… So what are you plotting for me, Toshiro?" Adolfine asked.

"I want you to marry Uncle and be my step-mother."

Adolfine looked at him with eyes the size of dinner plates.

"Toshiro, I don't know if you're serious or just pure fucking stupid…"

"Half-half. I guess Uncle could need a second half too…"

"Stop, Toshiro, stop… I understand you're worried about everyone around you but yourself, and I even understand worrying about my love life, but playing matchmaker for the Kaiser is overstepping it."

"Why?"

"He told me that he won't marry a woman as long as he lives. He just wants to have one less problem in life. Simple."

"How down to the earth pragmatic… Did he tell you when he made such an _oath_?"

"The same day he found out about you being a son of your father. He decided you'll be the heir, and your recent actions only solidified his resolve." She explained calmly.

"Ah well, since Uncs is out of the picture… Adolfine…"

"Oh please, Toshiro, do we have to talk about it?"

"You're not getting younger, Adi… You're at the peak of your beauty right now, and men would kill to have you as your wife."

"A shame I'm out of the question for you…" She sighed.

"Indeed, off limits like fuck. Basically every other girl lost in the start blocks once Yuki _came_ to me."

"But we can still fool around a bit, right?"

"Let's leave that for the goodbyes, okay?"

"Okay. But I want such a kiss for goodbye that'll leave me speechless!"

"Don't worry, I can do that, haha! Come on, last round of morning chores!"

"Coming!" She cheered.

During breakfast, Adolfine gave him some info after he asked.

"You have a plane leaving at 1200. You'll stay here and Joachim will come for you. Be sure, and I mean really sure now, that you'll take everything with you. Unlike your trip to Rosario, during which you thankfully took everything, it will be a _little_ bit problematic to deliver you anything you've forgot. All your gear will be onboard, so you don't have to rack your brains about that. You'll also have some supplies for the girls, besides those you've bought personally, heheh…"

"Good to know, I'll pack diligently! Like a True Soldier of Karlsland!"

"Hahaha, that always cracks me up! Okay, time for me. Some of us have to work."

"Hey, I'll be working too…" Toshiro pouted. "Closer to the soldiers than you!"

"Believe me, I would ditch this job in a blink of an eye if I regained my shields… But both the Kaiser and Keitel won't let me…" She said with a sad face.

"But Keiko and Hanna can sortie… Weird…"

"Both have signed a stack of releases, and as you probably saw with Keiko, they tend to be commanders, not active fighters."

"So why can't you be a battle commander?"

"I wanted to, but then I was promoted to Generalmajor, and my fate was sealed. A witch in her retirement age with such a rank or higher cannot go into sorties, that's the law…"

"Yeah, it would be a shame to loose such a fine Generalmajor…" Toshiro said with a smirk.

"Oh shush… I'm going to dress myself to work… You'd better start practicing that kiss, because this is our goodbye!"

"Jawohl, hahaha!"

Adolfine went upstairs to her room.

_"__So, Yuki, can I go full out?"_

_"__Meh, I stopped caring… But I'll make you squirm in pain if you don't confess everything to Yoshika… Mark… My… Words…"_

_"__Oooookaaaay…"_

_"__And if she blames ME for everything, I'll probably flip…"_

Toshiro waited for Adolfine to come down. She slowly descended down the stairs with a mysterious grin.

"So… Decided on how to do it? Or should I lead?"

"If you'll feel better, you can start."

"A true gentleman…"

She took his head in both hands and gently lowered his face down to her level. She kissed him delicately, as if Toshiro was made from un-tempered glass. But then, she clung on to his body and hugged him violently, stopping kissing him.

"Hang tight, Toshiro… I'll miss you…"

"Oooooh… I hope you're not crying?"

"You must have mistaken me for somebody…"

She let him go and looked at him with a teary face, but with a wide grin.

"And what's that? Your eyes sweating?"

"Haha, precisely! I have to do something about that…"

"Adi, Adi… I'll also miss you… But go now, or you'll be late." Toshiro said warmly.

"Yeah… Bye…"

"Bye, Adi…"

Adolfine went out of the front door. Toshiro sighed deeply and went to his room. He started packing his stuff, minding not to misplace anything.

_I have to do some cleaning in this chest, my new stuff barely fits inside…_

He took the chest downstairs and placed it before the stairs.

_Such a nice house… I need to ask Adi for the blueprints when the war is over, this one's ideal._

Toshiro sat on the couch in the living room, and went for the last round of music.

Joachim came half an hour before time. Toshiro took his chest and went to the car. Joachim locked the door and the gate, and he joined him in the car. They ventured to the airport in silence.

As the car stopped, Joachim said, "Good luck, Toshiro."

"You too, Joachim." Toshiro said with a sly smile.

"Oh no, I won't try again. Nu-uh!"

"Suit yourself… You _really _don't know what you're missing out…"

"What…"

Toshiro grabbed his chest and went to the plane. He was surprised, because it wasn't the Ju 290, but the BV P.216.03, a sophisticated prototype jet plane. The ramp in the back was opened, but instead of some random pilot, he saw Udo there.

"Herr Generalmajor, a bit early are we?"

"Well, I'm a bit giddy for the trip. But now I'm fired up!"

"Hahaha! We didn't know we would be transporting you! Come inside, we'll be going then."

Toshiro went inside and saw a lot of covered goods in the plane. There was a single padded bench mounted, so after placing the chest down on the floor, Toshiro sat on it. The ramp behind him closed slowly, and the jet engines started coming to life. Soon, the enormous plane started.

Few hours later, Toshiro was getting all but bored with the trip. He was flying a BV P.216.03, a prototype dual-purpose emergency jet transport craft with his destination being the Sint-Truiden base in Belgica, where he would see his friends

Behind his seat, under a big burlap sheet, were his new toys. One was a _simple_ upgrade to his previous cannon, the 8.8 cm NaK 45/2 L/71 ME. Stabilized with a prototype gyroscope and with a top loaded experimental breech that enabled a shorter body, it was surely a fine work of art from both Krupp, the manufacturer and Ursula's team of scientists. He also had a separate new cannon, the early stage prototype 12.8 cm NjK 82 L/55, made by the same manufacturer. It was basically the cannon ripped off from the Neuroijäger Tiger Ausf. B. or the 'Jagdtiger' Neuroi destroyer. It had a steel frame slapped to it, so it could be wielded by Toshiro and the scope, nothing more, thus it had to be loaded with the big and heavy two-piece shells manually. And somewhere between those two, a crate with his new MG, the Mauser MG 151/20/3, was lodged. Stripped of the cooling system the Type 99 had, but with a detachable scope for longer range engagements. It was also capable of firing seven different ammunition types, which names in original could break the tongue of a Liberian or Fusojin.

But the big bulge, protruding visibly, was his biggest joy. It was something some could even call a second generation Jet Striker – the KVKU XF-1 _Edelweiss_, built by Ursula's team under the auspices of the Karslander Fighter Plane Builder Union, something Toshiro helped solidify thanks to his small intervention while he was still in Rosario.

Just thinking back at the moment all of this gear was revealed to him made him feel like a kid that just got his present from Santa.

He went over to the PA panel and chimed in at the pilots.

"How far?"

"We're about halfway there, Generalmajor."

"Thanks."

Only a few more hours, and he could make the jaws of his three Karlslander friends drop on the ground, both because of his promotion, and because of the little family colligation that was discovered between him and Trude. He turned around and started toward his seat, but he saw another person.

_Where did she come from?_

Sitting in the seat next to his was a girl he had never seen before. She was just sitting there, reading a book. She was wearing a uniform similar to Minna's, and upon closer inspection, she had the same collar patches as Toshiro, but her epaulets had something he hadn't, namely a deltoid shaped silver star, pinned on it slightly off the center.

Toshiro took immediate notice of her features, looking first at her long fiery red hair, then her deep blue eyes, then finally her figure.

_"__Wow... her uniform fits her... well, so to speak."_

_"Hands to yourself, Toshiro. And I sense something... odd about this girl."_

"Anxious, are we?" The girl asked.

"I'm more anxious to know who you are, Generalleutnant. I don't think I've had the pleasure, and I also don't remember seeing you enter this plane before we took off."

She closed her book, stood up, and offered her hand to him to shake. "Kaylie Akari Maya. My middle name is my mother's surname, and my last name is my father's."

_"Akari and Maya? Yuki, aren't those the names of..."_

_"Yes, Toshiro. Be careful around this girl."_

_"You don't think she's..."_

_"I don't know for sure yet, but I'm contacting Amaterasu."_

"There's no need to contact Amaterasu, assuming that's where your mental conversation with Yuki is heading." The girl suddenly said. "She probably already knows I'm here."

"Are you a Chosen?"

"No."

_"Toshiro, be on guard, I don't like this."_

"How did you get on this plane?"

"I teleported."

"So you're a witch?"

"I suppose."

"What kind of answer half-assed answer is that?"

Black cat ears and a tail manifested in their respective places as Kaylie activated her magic.

"Now I'm a witch."

_Okay..._

Kaylie started gently rubbing her tail and lightly moaned.

"Feel's good…" She mumbled and quickly realized what she was doing, so she immediately stopped. "I haven't played with my tail in... Never mind."

"Uh huh..."

_I have to see if that works for Yoshika…_

"Anyway, are you satisfied with my answer now?"

_"Toshiro, this is not right. She looks like a witch, but her magic is completely different. She knows about me and Amaterasu. I'm contacting Amaterasu now, this is dangerous."_

"No."

"Come with me." Kaylie held her hand out again, but this time not for a handshake.

"No damn way, this smells worse than a tuna cannery…"

Kaylie snapped her fingers and spawned a black, circle shaped portal with a dark purple border.

"I could force you..."

Toshiro responded by summoning Aganaimaru.

"Using that will be harmful only to you the rest of the crew on board."

"You obviously don't know what this sword is capable of."

"I do." Kaylie pulled her hand back and summoned a black staff, seemingly made of wood.

"I hope you won't be disappointed when I cut that stick in two." Toshiro slowed time and quickly jumped toward Kaylie, intending only to cut through her staff, but she suddenly vanished before he could complete his attack.

He returned the flow of time to normal and looked around for her, finding her standing behind him a few feet.

_"Toshiro, this is not a normal person. From what I can tell, she has powers similar to those I bestowed upon you and those coming from Amaterasus's Godly Particle, and was able to dodge your attack with time slowed down. Don't hold back. You'll never touch her if you don't aim to kill."_

_"Right..."_

Toshiro activated the Sacred Flame and slowed time down as much as possible before attacking again. His target merely vanished before he could raise his sword, but he didn't miss a beat. He found her, standing behind him again, and continued his attack.

This time, however, she didn't dodge. She caught his sword.

Toshiro had a genuine look of surprise on his face.

_"What the..."_

_"Don't stop! Now's your opportunity! Grab her hand and attack!"_

Toshiro followed Yuki's instructions, but Kaylie broke free, twisted around behind him, and slammed him against the floor with her foot on his back before he could react. He couldn't maintain the slower flow of time anymore, thus it returned to normal.

_Well, hell… First time on the floor since fifth grade…_

"Chill. You're not going to one up me with time magic." She removed her foot and helped Toshiro up.

"So what..."

Kaylie held her finger up to Toshiro, gesturing him to wait.

"Three... Two... One... and..."

Amaterasu appeared inside the plane in a swarm of sakura petals.

"Hi, Ami." Kaylie said cheerfully.

Amaterasu gave her a clear look a disapproval.

"And what are you doing here, time bending squirt?"

"Boredom." Kaylie shrugged.

"Go be bored in your own world."

"In her world?"

"I'm almost certain, Toshiro."

"She's from another universe?"

"Not just that..."

"Oh, I have a good idea. Why don't you both come with me?"

"That's not such a good idea right now." Amaterasu said.

"Oh, come on, Ami. I can return you both to this same time." Kaylie gave Amaterasu her puppy dog eyes. "It'd be like you never left."

"Kaylie..."

"Pwease!" She kept up her puppy dog eyes.

"And you'll personally make sure Toshiro returns to this exact time?"

Kaylie waved her hand horizontally, giving a so-so gesture.

"Give or take five minutes."

"Alright."

Toshiro sighed as heavily, as he would have a rock on his chest.

"I'm guessing I don't get a say in this?"

"Nope!" Kaylie said as she started to pull both toward the portal.

"Before we go..." Amaterasu stopped her. "Toshiro, I believe I told you a little about Kye's universe."

"Yeah. She's the Goddess of Time and Space from that universe."

"Right."

"I guess I can add _fighting a goddess_ just under _training with a goddess_ to my resume… I suppose that's why Aganaimaru didn't put even a scratch on you."

"Or that she pinned you down like a frog while you had time slowed down." Amaterasu added.

"Yeah, I'm a little too durable for your atom-splitter, and I'm kind of the best time magic person around..." Kaylie said. "If you want, I can mortalize myself to make it a more even fight."

"Sure…" Toshiro mumbled.

"Alright, but after we get to my world. Let's go!" Kaylie grabbed the arms of Toshiro and Amaterasu and pushed them through her portal, whisking them away to her world right before the co-pilot spoke up over the PA system.

"Generalmajor, Udo and I were wondering if you would be willing to sign autographs for our daughters. They are young witches in the Luftwaffe and are fans of yours."

Kaylie had a brief look of distress and quickly teleported to the bathroom, where she locked the door from the inside and teleported out.

"Generalmajor?" The co-pilot asked. After a few more seconds of receiving no response, he got up. "I'm going to check on him."

Kaylie disappeared into the portal and closed it behind her just before the door opened. The co-pilot didn't see Toshiro anywhere, but saw that the bathroom was occupied.

He returned to the cockpit and reported to the pilot. "He's in the head."

* * *

**Today is the day in which Toshiro X is going on hiatus for three months. This is due to the fact that Toshiro's adventure in Kye's universe will be published by Doran Maya himself in Legendary Witches 3: Cross World Battle. Be sure to visit his profile and read on from there. If you can't find it, the link is in my profile. If you haven't read his Legendary Witches series, and you just want to read CWB for Toshiro's shenanigans, drop a PM to Doran Maya and he'll try to summarize everything. Be prepared though, it's highly unorthodox in some manners. Moreover, don't worry, Toshiro will return to his world for more tomfoolery, and I will publish some shorts in the mean time, while working on some more SW related content, and possibly my original story. Until then, faithful readers! May the light of Zvezda... Oh wait, wrong quote...  
**

* * *

**If you feel like it, please leave a review. However, I have only one request – if you want to leave something the size of a short story, please consider discussing your points over PM. If you want to leave an anonymous review, I respect your decision to do so, but if you sign in, I can actually discuss anything with you, dear reader. Thanks for reading, and I hope the next chapter will also garner your attention!**


End file.
